Contactless power supply system, vehicle, and contactless power supply receiving device

Abstract

To provide a contactless power supply system capable of calculating an amount of power supply and a charge amount for a vehicle without providing a separate component, a vehicle, and a contactless power supply and receiving device.SOLUTION: The contactless power supply system according to the present invention supplies power to a vehicle being traveling from a power supply device provided on a travel path of the vehicle without contacting the vehicle and comprises: determination means which determines start and stop of power supply from the power supply device to the vehicle on the basis of energy balance of an electric apparatus provided in the vehicle; and charge calculation means which calculates an amount of power supply and a charge amount for the vehicle on the basis of a determination result of the determination means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a non-contact power supply system, a vehicle, and a non-contact power supply and reception device that supply power to a running vehicle in a non-contact manner.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a non-contact power supply system that sets a predetermined amount as a collection amount upon the start of power transmission and corrects the collection amount based on the difference between the fee corresponding to the amount of power actually transmitted or the amount of power actually received by the vehicle and the predetermined amount.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to configure the non-contact power supply system described in Patent Document 1, separate components such as a device for measuring the amount of power and a device for detecting a vehicle are required, so there is room for improvement.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a non-contact power supply system, a vehicle, and a non-contact power supply and reception device capable of calculating the amount of power supplied to a vehicle and the charging amount without providing separate components.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The contactless power supply system according to the present invention is a contactless power supply system that supplies power to a moving vehicle without contact from a power supply device installed on the vehicle's travel path, and comprises a determination means for determining the start and stop of power supply from the power supply device to the vehicle based on the energy balance of the electrical equipment installed in the vehicle, and a billing calculation means for calculating the amount of power supplied to the vehicle and the amount of charge based on the determination result of the determination means.

[0007] The vehicle according to the present invention is a vehicle capable of receiving power from a contactless power supply system that supplies power to a moving vehicle in a non-contact manner from a power supply device installed on the vehicle's travel path, and comprises a determination means for determining the start and stop of power supply from the power supply device to the vehicle based on the energy balance of electrical equipment installed in the vehicle, and a notification means for notifying the determination result of the determination means to a billing device of the contactless power supply system, thereby causing the billing device to use the determination result in the process of calculating the amount of power supplied to the vehicle and the amount of charge.

[0008] The contactless power supply receiving device according to the present invention is a contactless power supply receiving device mounted on a vehicle that can receive power from a contactless power supply system that supplies power to a moving vehicle in a contactless manner from a power supply device installed on the vehicle's roadway, and comprises a determination means for determining the start and stop of power supply from the power supply device to the vehicle based on the energy balance of the electrical equipment installed on the vehicle, and a notification means for notifying the determination result of the determination means to a billing device of the contactless power supply system, thereby causing the billing device to use the determination result in the process of calculating the amount of power supplied to the vehicle and the amount of charge. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The contactless power supply system, vehicle, and contactless power supply receiving device according to the present invention determine the start and stop of power supply from the power supply device to the vehicle based on the energy balance of the electrical equipment installed in the vehicle, so the amount of power supplied to the vehicle and the amount charged can be calculated without providing separate parts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1]Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a contactless power supply system, which is one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the energy balance of the vehicle when it is not receiving power. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the energy balance of the vehicle when power is being supplied. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the power supply determination. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the power supply determination. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of how electricity charges are calculated. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the method for obtaining the electrical characteristics of a vehicle. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the method for obtaining the electrical characteristics of a vehicle. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the power supply determination. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the power supply determination. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the power supply determination. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the effects of a modified version of the power supply determination method shown in Figure 12. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the power supply determination. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the power supply determination. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the power supply determination. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] A contactless power supply system, which is one embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a contactless power supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a contactless power supply system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a system that supplies power to a running vehicle in a contactless manner, and includes a vehicle 2, a power supply device 3, and a charging server device 4.

[0013] The vehicle 2 is composed of well-known vehicles such as HV (Hybrid Vehicle), EV (Electric Vehicle), PHV (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle), FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), etc., and includes a communication module capable of information communication via a telecommunication line NW such as an Internet line network or a mobile phone line network. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 2 includes an adder 21 that calculates the sum of the input / output power amount of the battery (battery power) and the input / output power amount of the motor (motor power), an adder 22 that calculates the sum of the output of the adder 21 and the power consumption amount of auxiliary machines (auxiliary machine power), and a comparator 23 that compares the magnitude relationship between the output of the adder 22 (energy balance) and a power supply determination threshold value, and outputs a power supply determination signal indicating that power supply from the power supply device 3 is being performed when the output of the adder 22 is greater than the power supply determination threshold value. Note that regarding the motor power, instead of using the detected value, the motor power corresponding to the operation command for the motor may be read from a map, or the predicted regenerative power amount may be used. Further, regarding the auxiliary machine power, instead of using the detected value, the auxiliary machine power may be read from a map according to the on / off state of the auxiliary machine power.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the energy balance of the electrical equipment included in the vehicle 2 becomes ± zero due to the power consumption by the electrical equipment such as the motor with respect to the power supply (discharge) from the battery. On the other hand, even when regenerative power returns from the motor, the battery is charged and the energy balance of the vehicle 2 becomes ± zero. Note that in FIG. 3(b), the illustration of the auxiliary machine power is omitted. In contrast, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), when the power supply power from the non-contact power supply system 1 enters through the power receiving unit, the energy balance of the electrical equipment included in the vehicle 2 shifts to the positive side. Therefore, the vehicle 2 uses the comparator 23 to compare the magnitude relationship between the output of the adder 22 and the power supply determination threshold value. When the output of the adder 22 is greater than the power supply determination threshold value, it is determined that the power supply from the power supply device 3 is being performed, and a power supply determination signal is output. Then, the vehicle 2 transmits the power supply determination signal to the charging server device 4 together with the unique identification information (vehicle ID) assigned to the vehicle 2 via the electric communication line NW. Note that the vehicle 2 may transmit the position information (GPS signal or the like) of the vehicle 2 together with the power supply determination signal so that the distance (power supply section) traveled by the vehicle 2 while the power supply determination signal is on can be calculated.

[0015] Note that it is also possible to perform the power supply determination only based on the electrical characteristics (at least one of voltage, current, and power) at the output point of the power receiving unit (before sending power to the motor, battery, auxiliary machine, etc.; see FIG. 6(a)). However, in this case, there is a possibility of fraud in which the electrical wiring to which the sensor for detecting the electrical characteristics of the output point is connected is cut, and an electrical wiring for bypassing the output point is provided, so that it appears that power is not being supplied even though power is actually being supplied. For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6(a), and 6(b), a comparator 24 that performs the power supply determination by comparing the magnitude relationship between the electrical characteristics of the power receiving unit and the power supply determination threshold value, and a comparator 25 that performs the power supply determination by comparing the magnitude relationship between the output (energy balance) of the adder 21 and the power supply determination threshold value (a value obtained by offsetting the auxiliary machine power) are provided, and it is preferable to output a power supply determination signal when the power supply determination result of the comparator 24 and the power supply determination result of the comparator 25 match.

[0016] Returning to Figure 1, the power supply device 3 includes a rectifier that rectifies the DC voltage from the grid, multiple inverters that convert the DC voltage rectified by the rectifier into AC voltage, and multiple transmitters that transmit the AC voltage output from the multiple inverters to the vehicle 2.

[0017] The billing server device 4 is composed of information processing equipment such as a workstation and is connected to the vehicle 2 and the power supply device 3 via a telecommunications line NW. The billing server device 4 communicates information with the vehicle 2 and the power supply device 3 via the telecommunications line NW. In addition, the billing server device 4 functions as a power supply determination unit 41 and a billing calculation unit 42 by having a processing unit such as a CPU inside the information processing equipment execute a computer program.

[0018] The power supply determination unit 41 determines the time (power supply time) and section (power supply section) during which power was supplied to vehicle 2 based on the power supply determination signal and vehicle ID transmitted from vehicle 2, and outputs the determined power supply time and section information along with the vehicle ID to the billing calculation unit 42. The billing calculation unit 42 calculates the amount of power supplied to vehicle 2 based on the power supply time and section output from the power supply determination unit 41, and charges the power supply fee (billing fee) to the user of vehicle 2 corresponding to the vehicle ID according to the calculated power supply amount. Alternatively, as shown in Figures 7(a) to (e), the amount of power received by vehicle 2 may be pre-classified according to its magnitude, and the billing calculation unit 42 may calculate the power supply fee according to the power supply time and section for each class.

[0019] As is clear from the above explanation, in the contactless power supply system 1, which is one embodiment of the present invention, the billing server device 4 determines the start and stop of power supply from the power supply device 3 to the vehicle 2 based on the energy balance of the electrical equipment installed in the vehicle 2, so that the amount of power supplied to the vehicle 2 and the amount of charge can be calculated without providing any separate parts.

[0020] When the power supply device makes contact with the vehicle to supply power, as shown in Figure 8(a), it is preferable to detect the current at the interface between the power supply device and the vehicle (charging current) as the electrical characteristic of the power receiving unit. Also, as shown in Figure 8(b), if a reverse current prevention element such as a diode element or a switching element is provided between the interface and the battery, the voltage between the interface and the element (power receiving terminal voltage) may be detected as the electrical characteristic of the power receiving unit. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8(c), if a rectifier is provided between the interface and the battery to prevent short circuits in the event of reverse polarity connection, the input voltage of the rectifier (power receiving terminal voltage) may be obtained as the electrical characteristic of the power receiving unit. In addition, as shown in Figure 8(d), the electrical characteristics can be detected at the same detection point even if the output of the power supply device is an AC output. Furthermore, even when the power supply device supplies power without contact with the vehicle, the electrical characteristics can be detected at the same detection point as when the power supply device makes contact with the vehicle to supply power.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, when detecting the charging current on the output side of the AC section as an electrical characteristic of the power receiving section, as shown in Figure 10(a), the charging current becomes a half-wave waveform passing through the low-current region, so the input current crosses the judgment threshold with each cycle, increasing the number of processing cycles. For this reason, as shown in Figure 10(b), it is preferable to apply peak hold processing to the charging current and then compare it with the power supply judgment threshold. When detecting the receiving end voltage as an electrical characteristic of the power receiving section, as shown in Figures 11(a) and (b), it is preferable to rectify the receiving end voltage and then apply peak hold processing. Alternatively, instead of using the input current directly for power supply judgment, as shown in Figure 12, the input current may be input to a filter, and the power supply judgment may be performed using the smoothed input current (charging current) after the filter. As shown in Figure 13(a), since the input current becomes a half-wave waveform passing through the low-current region, the input current crosses the power supply judgment threshold with each cycle, increasing the number of processing cycles. In contrast, when using the smoothed charging current after the filter, as shown in Figure 13(b), the number of times the power supply judgment threshold is crossed is reduced, thus suppressing an increase in the number of processing steps.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 14(a) and (c), if the power supply count is stopped at the moment when the power supply determination signal is no longer output from vehicle 2, the detailed calculation of charges will increase, potentially leading to an unnecessarily large amount of calculation data and memory strain. For this reason, as shown in Figure 14(b), if the power supply determination signal is output from vehicle 2 again within a predetermined grace period (grace period) after the power supply determination signal has stopped being output from vehicle 2, it is desirable to continue counting the power supply time and power supply period. Also, as shown in Figures 15(a) to (c), if the power supply determination output is stopped beyond the grace period, it is advisable to calculate the power supply charge retroactively to the time when the power supply determination signal output actually stopped. Alternatively, the time lost due to charging opportunities during the grace period may be counted separately, and the charge corresponding to the time lost due to charging opportunities may be deducted when calculating the power supply charge. Alternatively, the power supply charge unit price for the contactless power supply system 1 may be determined taking into account the time lost due to charging opportunities. Alternatively, as shown in Figures 16(a) and (b), the power supply charge for the contactless power supply system 1 may be determined according to the power receiving band, and the power supply charge for the contactless power supply system 1 may be calculated by taking into account how many counts were made in each power receiving band. For example, in the example shown in Figures 16(a) and (b), the power supply charge for the contactless power supply system 1 can be calculated as (count value in the first power band × power supply charge for the first power band) + (count value in the second power band × power supply charge for the second power band) + α.

[0023] Although embodiments applying the invention made by the present inventors have been described above, the present invention is not limited by the descriptions and drawings that constitute part of the disclosure of the present invention in this embodiment. That is, all other embodiments, examples, and operational techniques made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0024] 1. Contactless power supply system 2 vehicles 3. Power supply device 4. Billing Server Device 21,22 Adder 23, 24, 25 Comparators 41 Power supply determination unit 42 Billing Calculation Department

Claims

1. A contactless power supply system that supplies power to a moving vehicle without contact from a power supply device installed on the vehicle's track, A determination means for determining whether or not power is being supplied from the power supply device to the vehicle based on the energy balance of the electrical equipment installed in the vehicle, A billing calculation means that calculates the amount of power supplied to the vehicle and the amount of charge based on the determination result of the determination means, A contactless power supply system equipped with the following features.

2. A vehicle capable of receiving power from a contactless power supply system that supplies power to a moving vehicle without contact from a power supply device installed on the vehicle's track, A determination means for determining whether or not power is being supplied from the power supply device to the vehicle based on the energy balance of the electrical equipment installed in the vehicle, A notification means for notifying the determination result of the determination means to the billing device of the contactless power supply system, Equipped with, A vehicle in which the aforementioned billing device uses the determination result in the process of calculating the amount of power supplied to the vehicle and the amount of charge.

3. A contactless power supply receiving device mounted on a vehicle that can receive power from a contactless power supply system that supplies power to a moving vehicle in a non-contact manner from a power supply device installed on the vehicle's track, A determination means for determining whether or not power is being supplied from the power supply device to the vehicle based on the energy balance of the electrical equipment installed in the vehicle, A notification means for notifying the determination result of the determination means to the billing device of the contactless power supply system, Equipped with, A contactless power supply and receiving device that causes the aforementioned charging device to use the determination result in the process of calculating the amount of power supplied to the vehicle and the amount of charge.

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