Contactless power supply equipment, contactless power supply method, and matching device

Abstract

To provide a non-contact power supply installation, a non-contact power supply method, and a matching device to confirm that a target object which is to receive power is matched with a coil which is to supply power to the target object.SOLUTION: A non-contact power supply installation 1 includes: a power transmission unit 3S including one or more ground coil devices 3 that supply power to an electric vehicle 9 in a non-contact manner; and a matching device 4 that determines whether or not to start supplying power from the ground coil device 3. The matching device 4 has: a plurality of wireless communication devices 72 that transmits a lighting pattern signal D2 for causing interior lights 94 provided on the electric vehicle 9 to emit light in a predetermined lighting pattern to the electric vehicle 9 requesting power supply; a plurality of light sensors 6 that detects time changes in brightness that occur in response to the lighting pattern signal D2 when the electric vehicle 9 receives the lighting pattern signal D2; and a plurality of processing devices 71 that determines whether or not to start supplying power from the ground coil device 3 according to the time changes in brightness detected by the light sensor 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to contactless power supply equipment, a contactless power supply method, and an association device.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a device (hereinafter referred to as a "contactless power supply device") that supplies power to an object (e.g., an electric vehicle) to be powered in a contactless manner. In the contactless power supply device, it is necessary to accurately associate the object to be powered and the device to supply power. Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose technologies for associating an object and a contactless power supply device.

[0003] The contactless power transmission and reception system of Patent Document 1 uses a beacon for association. The contactless power transmission and reception system of Patent Document 1 transmits radio waves and a beacon from the system to a vehicle. The vehicle uses the received radio waves and beacon to identify the approaching power transmission unit.

[0004] The power transmission unit of Patent Document 2 uses a vehicle number for association. The power transmission unit of Patent Document 2 includes a camera and uses the camera to photograph the license plate of the approaching vehicle. The power transmission unit of Patent Document 2 uses the vehicle number to confirm the association.

[0005] The contactless power transmission system of Patent Document 3 uses the blinking of a light-emitting device provided in the electric vehicle itself. The electric vehicle wirelessly transmits information on the blinking cycle to the contactless power supply device. The contactless power supply device includes a camera and uses the camera to image the blinking state of the light-emitting device. The contactless power supply device uses the information on the blinking cycle sent from the electric vehicle and the information on the blinking state of the light-emitting device acquired using the camera to confirm the association.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] When supplying power to an object without contact, wireless communication first takes place between the object and the wireless power supply device. This wireless communication exchanges information for power supply control. Wireless radio waves have a wide range. Therefore, there may be multiple wireless power supply devices or multiple objects that wish to receive power within the range of the wireless radio waves. In that case, the wireless radio waves received by an object wishing to receive power may have been transmitted from the wireless power supply device that the object was aligned with, or they may have been transmitted from a different wireless power supply device.

[0008] In other words, a mismatch occurs between the object receiving power and the coil device of the contactless power supply device intended to supply power to that object. This mismatch means that there is an inconsistency in the correspondence between the object and the coil device of the contactless power supply device. If such an inconsistency occurs, it is advisable not to initiate power supply.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention provides a contactless power supply system, a contactless power supply method, and a matching device that can confirm that an object to which power is to be supplied and a coil of a contactless power supply device to which power is to be supplied are associated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A contactless power supply system, one embodiment of the present invention, comprises a power transmission unit including one or more coils that supply power to an object without contact, and a matching device that determines whether or not to start supplying power from the coils. The matching device includes one or more transmitting units that send a lighting pattern signal to an object requesting power supply, causing a light-emitting device on the object to emit light in a predetermined lighting pattern, one or more light-receiving units that detect the time change in brightness that occurs in the object in response to the lighting pattern signal, and one or more processing units that determine whether or not to start supplying power from the coils in response to the time change in brightness detected by the light-receiving units.

[0011] The contactless power supply equipment transmits an illumination pattern from the matching device to the object, which causes the object's light-emitting device to illuminate in order to confirm the correspondence. The matching device uses the light pattern received by the light-receiving unit and the illumination pattern instructed to the object to decide whether or not to start supplying power from the coil. With this configuration, it is possible to confirm that the object receiving power and the coil of the contactless power supply equipment that intends to supply power to that object are in correspondence.

[0012] In the above-described contactless power supply equipment, the power transmission unit includes multiple coils, and when the processing unit receives a signal from an object requesting power supply, it may cause the transmitting unit to send a lighting pattern signal linked to the coil that is about to start supplying power to the object requesting power supply. With this configuration, the correspondence with an object can be confirmed for each of the coils of the multiple contactless power supply devices.

[0013] In the above-described contactless power supply equipment, the power transmission unit includes multiple coils, the object is a vehicle, and the spacing between the coils may be longer than the total length of the vehicle. With such an installation, for example, multiple contactless power supply coils can be installed along a road.

[0014] In the above-described contactless power supply equipment, the power transmission unit includes multiple coils, the target object is a vehicle, and the spacing between the multiple coils may be shorter than the total length of the vehicle and longer than the total width of the vehicle. With such an installation, for example, multiple contactless power supply coils can be installed in a parking lot.

[0015] In the above-described contactless power supply equipment, the power transmission unit includes multiple coils, which may be installed at predetermined intervals along the edge of the road. Such an installation also allows for the installation of multiple contactless power supply coils along the road.

[0016] In the above-described contactless power supply equipment, the processing unit may acquire an illumination pattern signal and a light reception pattern signal indicating the time change in the brightness of the light received by the light receiving unit, and start supplying power from the coil when it can determine that the light reception pattern signal and the illumination pattern signal satisfy a predetermined relationship. Through such processing, the correspondence with the target object can be confirmed well for each of the coils of the multiple contactless power supply devices.

[0017] In the above-described contactless power supply equipment, the lighting pattern signal includes element values ​​indicating a command to emit light and element values ​​indicating a command to turn off the light, and the light receiving pattern signal includes element values ​​indicating that the light is emitted and element values ​​indicating that the light is off. The processing unit may obtain multiple correlation element values, which are the products of the element values ​​of the lighting pattern signal at a predetermined time and the element values ​​of the light receiving pattern signal at a predetermined time, obtain a correlation evaluation value, which is the sum of the multiple correlation element values, and use the correlation evaluation value to determine whether the light receiving pattern signal and the lighting pattern signal satisfy a predetermined relationship. With such processing, it is possible to easily determine whether the light receiving pattern and the lighting pattern satisfy a predetermined relationship.

[0018] Another embodiment of the present invention is a non-contact power supply method that supplies power from a coil to an object without contact. The non-contact power supply method includes the steps of: sending a lighting pattern signal to an object requesting power supply to cause a light-emitting device on the object to emit light in a predetermined lighting pattern; detecting a time change in brightness that occurs in response to the lighting pattern signal when the object receives the lighting pattern signal; and deciding whether or not to start supplying power from the coil in response to the time change in brightness detected in the step of detecting the time change in brightness that occurs in response to the lighting pattern signal. This method also makes it possible to confirm that the object that is to receive power supply and the coil of the non-contact power supply device that is to supply power to the object are associated.

[0019] A further embodiment of the present invention is a matching device for one or more coils that supply power to an object in a non-contact manner, which determines whether or not to start supplying power from the coils. The matching device includes one or more transmitting units that send an illumination pattern signal to an object requesting power supply, causing a light-emitting device on the object to emit light in a predetermined illumination pattern; one or more light-receiving units that detect the time change in brightness that occurs in the object in response to the illumination pattern signal; and one or more processing units that determine whether or not to start supplying power from the coils in response to the time change in brightness detected by the light-receiving units. This matching device also makes it possible to confirm that the object that is to receive power supply and the coils of the non-contact power supply device that are to supply power to the object are associated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, a contactless power supply system, a contactless power supply method, and a matching device are provided that can confirm that an object to which power is to be supplied and a coil device of a contactless power supply system to which power is to be supplied are associated. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state where the contactless power supply equipment of the embodiment is installed on a road. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state where an electric vehicle enters the contactless power supply equipment of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the contactless power supply device and the electric vehicle when power can be supplied from the contactless power supply device shown in FIG. 1 to the electric vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the contactless power supply device and the electric vehicle shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modification example when the contactless power supply equipment is installed on a road. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an example of a lighting pattern signal transmitted from the contactless power supply device to the electric vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an operation performed between the contactless power supply device and the electric vehicle, and shows a case where the contactless power supply device and the electric vehicle are associated with each other. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an operation performed between the contactless power supply device and the electric vehicle, and shows a case where the contactless power supply device and the electric vehicle are not associated with each other. [Figure 9] FIG. 9(a) is a diagram showing a state where the contactless power supply device and the electric vehicle are associated with each other. FIG. 9(b) is a diagram showing a state where the contactless power supply device and the electric vehicle are not associated with each other. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing a processing device included in the contactless power supply device controller. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is another functional block diagram showing a processing device included in the contactless power supply device controller. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a physical configuration of the contactless power supply device controller. [Figure 13] FIG. 13(a) is an example of a lighting pattern signal transmitted by the first contactless power supply device. FIG. 13(b) is an example of a lighting pattern signal transmitted by the second contactless power supply device. FIG. 13(c) is an example of a lighting pattern signal transmitted by the third contactless power supply device. [Figure 14] Figure 14(a) shows an example of a lighting pattern signal transmitted by the second contactless power supply device. Figure 14(b) shows an example of a received light pattern signal obtained in response to the lighting pattern signal transmitted by the second contactless power supply device. Figure 14(c) shows an example of a received light pattern signal obtained when not responding to the lighting pattern signal transmitted by the second contactless power supply device. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a functional block diagram showing a modified example of the processing unit included in a contactless power supply device controller. [Figure 16] Figures 16(a), 16(b), 16(c), 16(d), 16(e), 16(f), and 16(g) are examples of illumination pattern signals output from a delay unit. Figures 16(h) and 16(i) are examples of light reception pattern signals. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a functional block diagram showing a modified example of the processing unit included in a contactless power supply device controller. [Figure 18] Figure 18 shows a contactless power supply system installed in a parking lot. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a block diagram of the contactless power supply equipment according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is a block diagram of a modified example of a contactless power supply system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0023] First, the overall installation of the contactless power supply equipment 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3. As shown in Figure 1, the contactless power supply equipment 1 is installed, as an example, along the road 101 in the parking lane 103 at the edge of the road 101.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, an electric vehicle 9 (object, vehicle) traveling on road 101 can enter or exit the contactless power supply facility 1 by changing lanes. The contactless power supply facility 1 shown in Figure 2 has three contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C. The three contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C are installed in close proximity to each other. For example, the distance between the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C may be longer than the total length of the electric vehicle 9. The distance between the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C referred to here is defined as the installation distance of the ground coil devices 3 provided by the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C. For example, the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C are installed in an area with a radius of 100m or less. The electric vehicle 9 can communicate wirelessly with any of the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C.

[0025] Note that the contactless power supply equipment 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 has three contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C. The number of contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C in the contactless power supply equipment 1 is not limited to three. The number of contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C in the contactless power supply equipment 1 may be two or more than three. In the following explanation, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the three contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C, they will be referred to as "contactless power supply device 2".

[0026] Furthermore, Figures 1 and 2 show an example of the contactless power supply equipment 1 being installed on a left-hand traffic road. The contactless power supply equipment 1 can also be applied to right-hand traffic roads.

[0027] Figure 3 shows the situation when the contactless power supply device 2 is supplying power to the electric vehicle 9. When the contactless power supply device 2 is in a positional relationship that allows it to supply power to the electric vehicle 9, the electric vehicle 9 is said to be aligned with the contactless power supply device 2. Specifically, the state in which the electric vehicle 9 is aligned with the contactless power supply device 2 means that the on-board coil device 91 installed on the bottom surface of the electric vehicle 9 is facing the ground coil device 3 of the contactless power supply device 2 installed on the road surface 102. When the on-board coil device 91 is facing the ground coil device 3, contactless power can be supplied from the contactless power supply device 2 to the electric vehicle 9.

[0028] Next, after explaining the challenges in the operation of the contactless power supply equipment 1, we will describe the functions of the contactless power supply equipment 1. We will use the example of an electric vehicle 9 attempting to receive power from the contactless power supply device 2B.

[0029] First, while the electric vehicle 9 is traveling on the road 101 before entering the contactless power supply equipment 1 (see Figure 2), multiple contactless power supply devices 2 send a signal requesting the start of communication without specifying contactless power supply device 2B. In response to this signal, one of the multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C, for example, contactless power supply device 2B, sends a signal containing ID information back to the electric vehicle 9. In this case, the contactless power supply device 2B that sends the signal back to the electric vehicle 9 is one that is in a state where it can supply power. A state where it can supply power means that the electric vehicle 9 is not parked (available) on the ground coil device 3, regardless of whether it is the electric vehicle 9 that sent the signal requesting the start of communication or a different electric vehicle 9. Also, if multiple contactless power supply devices 2 are available to supply power, multiple contactless power supply devices 2 will send signals back. The electric vehicle 9 adopts the first reply signal it receives and continues communication with the contactless power supply device 2 that matches the ID information contained in that signal. The electric vehicle 9 compares the ID information contained in the received signal with the ID information it holds regarding the contactless power supply device 2 to identify the device with which communication has been established as the contactless power supply device 2B.

[0030] Next, the electric vehicle 9, which is to receive power, aligns itself with the contactless power supply device 2B. Alignment may be performed by a human driver using visual operation, or it may be performed by automated driving using a camera or LiDAR (light detecting and ranging). Once alignment is complete, the alignment status verifier 95 installed in the electric vehicle 9 transmits an alignment signal to the vehicle controller 96 installed in the electric vehicle 9, indicating that alignment has been completed.

[0031] Upon receiving the alignment signal, the vehicle controller 96 transmits a power supply request signal D1 to the contactless power supply device 2B, indicating that alignment is complete. The radio communication device 961 of the vehicle controller 96 already knows the ID of the radio communication device 72 (transmitter) of the contactless power supply device 2B. Therefore, the radio communication device 961 of the vehicle controller 96 performs wireless communication with a specific contactless power supply device 2B selected from among the multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C by specifying the ID.

[0032] In this case, the relationship between the electric vehicle 9 and the contactless power supply device 2B can take two forms.

[0033] Firstly, there is a configuration in which the contactless power supply device 2B with which the electric vehicle 9 has established communication coincides with the contactless power supply device 2B with which the electric vehicle 9 has completed alignment (see Figure 9(a)). This first configuration is the correct configuration for performing contactless power supply.

[0034] Secondly, there is a configuration in which the contactless power supply device 2B with which the electric vehicle 9 has established communication does not coincide with the contactless power supply device 2A with which the electric vehicle 9 has completed alignment (see Figure 9(b)). In this second configuration, contactless power supply cannot be performed.

[0035] The ID is used for wireless communication. In other words, there is no indication of the ID on the exterior of the contactless power supply device 2B. Therefore, it is not possible to identify the contactless power supply device 2B with which communication has been established based on its appearance. Consequently, the contactless power supply device 2B with which communication has been established and the contactless power supply device 2A with which alignment has been completed may not match. In addition, other factors may also cause the contactless power supply device 2B with which communication has been established and the contactless power supply device 2A with which alignment has been completed to not match.

[0036] The contactless power supply equipment 1 has a function to confirm that the first configuration is in place. In other words, the contactless power supply equipment 1 can perform the power supply operation after confirming that the electric vehicle 9 receiving power is aligned with the contactless power supply device 2B that performs the power supply.

[0037] The specific configuration of the contactless power supply device 2 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The contactless power supply device 2 includes a ground coil device 3 and a mapping device 4. The mapping device 4 determines whether the electric vehicle 9 requesting power supply is mapped to the contactless power supply device 2 that is about to start supplying power. If the result of the mapping device 4's determination is "mapped", power supply from the ground coil device 3 is started.

[0038] [Ground coil device 3] Multiple ground coil devices 3 constitute a power transmission unit 3S (see Figure 1). Each of the multiple ground coil devices 3 is electrically connected to an inverter device 8 by a cable 3K, and high-frequency AC power output from the inverter device 8 is supplied to the ground coil devices 3. Figure 3 shows an example in which a cable 3K with water resistance capable of withstanding the weight of the tires of an electric vehicle 9 is installed on the road surface, but the installation method of the cable 3K is not limited as long as it does not obstruct the passage of the electric vehicle 9 and ensures appropriate durability. For example, the cable 3K may be embedded in the road surface.

[0039] The ground coil device 3 includes a coil that generates a magnetic field for contactless power supply. The ground coil device 3 generates a magnetic field in response to the input high-frequency AC power. The ground coil device 3 includes a circuit composed of, for example, one or both of a capacitor and an inductor. The ground coil device 3 may also include an impedance adjustment circuit to adjust the impedance of the circuit. When the on-board coil device 91 is positioned directly opposite the ground coil device 3, the generated magnetic field links with the coil of the on-board coil device 91. As a result, power is generated in the on-board coil device 91, thus realizing contactless power supply.

[0040] Figure 3 illustrates an example in which the ground coil device 3 is installed on the road surface. The ground coil device 3 only needs to be installed in such a way that contactless power is supplied from the ground coil device 3 to the on-board coil device 91. For example, the ground coil device 3 may be embedded in the road surface 102.

[0041] Examples of contactless power supply methods include electromagnetic induction and magnetic resonance. Any contactless power supply method is acceptable as long as it can supply the desired power from the contactless power supply device 2 to the electric vehicle 9.

[0042] The coils of the ground coil device 3 and the on-board coil device 91 can be of any type as long as they enable contactless power supply. For example, they may be circular coils or solenoid coils.

[0043] [Matching device] As shown in Figure 4, the matching device 4 includes a power supply unit 5 and an optical sensor 6 (light receiving unit).

[0044] [Power supply device] The power supply unit 5 is located on the roadside. In the direction along the road 101, the power supply unit 5 is located approximately at the same position as the ground coil unit 3. This allows for a shorter cable 3K, which electrically connects the power supply unit 5 and the ground coil unit 3. As a result, power loss in the cable 3K can be reduced. In terms of height, the power supply unit 5 is located at approximately the center of the side of the electric vehicle 9. This places the power supply unit 5 at about waist or chest height. As a result, the power supply unit 5 is easily accessible, making maintenance of the power supply unit 5 straightforward.

[0045] The installation location of the power supply unit 5 is not limited to the location described above. The power supply unit 5 may, for example, be buried underground. The power supply unit 5 may be installed on the wall of a building near the road 101. The components of the power supply unit 5 may be housed in a single enclosure. The components of the power supply unit 5 may be housed in multiple enclosures. The power supply unit 5 may be integrated with the above-ground coil device 3.

[0046] The power supply unit 5 includes a contactless power supply device controller 7 and an inverter device 8.

[0047] The contactless power supply controller 7 controls the inverter device 8. The contactless power supply controller 7 communicates wirelessly with the electric vehicle 9 via a wireless communication device 72. The contactless power supply controller 7 is connected to the inverter device 8 and the optical sensor 6 by a wired or wireless network. The contactless power supply controller 7 commands the inverter device 8 to operate via the network. The contactless power supply controller 7 also checks the status of the inverter device 8 via the network. The contactless power supply controller 7 obtains an image output from the optical sensor 6. The contactless power supply controller 7 uses the acquired image to determine the time change in brightness inside the electric vehicle 9. The contactless power supply controller 7 is a programmable controller composed of, for example, a microprocessor, program storage memory, RAM (random access memory), and input / output circuits.

[0048] The contactless power supply device controller 7 includes a wireless communication device 72. The wireless communication device 72 communicates wirelessly with the wireless communication device 961 of the electric vehicle 9. Commands or data can be sent and received between the contactless power supply device controller 7 and the electric vehicle 9 via wireless communication. The antenna, which is part of the wireless communication device 72, may be installed on the outside of the housing of the power supply unit 5 to ensure good transmission and reception of radio waves. The antenna may be installed at a location higher than the power supply unit 5 and away from the housing of the power supply unit 5.

[0049] The inverter device 8 receives power from an external power source (not shown) and outputs high-frequency (e.g., 100 kHz) AC power suitable for contactless power supply. The external power source may be, for example, a 50 Hz or 60 Hz commercial power supply, solar power generation, wind power generation, fuel cell, large-capacity storage battery, or a combination thereof.

[0050] The inverter device 8 has an inverter circuit. The inverter circuit generates AC power by switching IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors) or power MOSFETs, for example. When the power received from the power source is AC power, the inverter device 8 may include a power factor correction (PFC) circuit and a rectifier circuit. When the power received from the power source is DC power, the inverter device 8 may include a DC-DC converter. The contactless power supply device controller 7 and the inverter device 8 may be integrated or separate. When the contactless power supply device controller 7 and the inverter device 8 are separate, there are no particular restrictions on the distance between the contactless power supply device controller 7 and the inverter device 8. In other words, the contactless power supply device controller 7 may be located away from the inverter device 8.

[0051] [Optical sensor 6] The light sensor 6 is, for example, a camera. The camera-like light sensor 6 has an image sensor composed of multiple pixels 62 and an imaging lens. The multiple pixels 62 (see Figure 11) are arranged, for example, in a 1000 x 1000 pixel configuration to form the image sensor. For the image sensor, for example, a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor may be used. The light sensor 6 can use any configuration as long as it can limit the field of view 61 and detect changes in brightness within the field of view 61. As an example, the light sensor 6 may include an imaging lens, an image sensor such as a cadmium sulfide cell (CdS cell) that detects the brightness of light at the focal point of the imaging lens, and a light-shielding tube installed in front of the imaging lens to limit the field of view 61. In the calculations performed by the correlation evaluation unit 714, which will be described later, the time change in brightness is important. Therefore, high spatial resolution is not required for the performance of the light sensor 6.

[0052] The light sensor 6 transmits information, including the luminance signal at each pixel 62, as an image. The light sensor 6 periodically acquires images at a frame rate of, for example, 0.1-second or 0.01-second intervals. The light sensor 6 transmits the acquired images. In other words, the multiple images acquired periodically represent information that changes over time. The multiple images show the time change in luminance at each pixel 62.

[0053] The optical sensor 6 is located on top of the power supply unit 5. The optical sensor 6 is installed so as to be able to photograph the interior of the electric vehicle 9 through the window of the electric vehicle 9, which is aligned with the contactless power supply unit 2. In other words, the optical sensor 6 is installed so as to be able to photograph the interior of the electric vehicle 9 through the window of the electric vehicle 9, which is parked in a position where it can receive power from the contactless power supply unit 2. In further terms, the optical sensor 6 is installed so as to be able to photograph the interior of the electric vehicle 9 through the window of the electric vehicle 9, which is parked in a position where the ground coil unit 3 and the on-board coil unit 91 are facing each other.

[0054] Furthermore, the windows of the electric vehicle 9 as used herein may be windows located on the sides of the electric vehicle 9. Also, the windows of the electric vehicle 9 may be the front windows (windshield), rear windows, or roof windows (sunroof). Moreover, the windows of the electric vehicle 9 may include multiple of these windows.

[0055] In the example shown in Figure 3, the optical sensor 6 is installed on top of the power supply unit 5. However, the installation location of the optical sensor 6 is not limited to this. The optical sensor 6 can be installed anywhere that allows it to photograph the interior of the electric vehicle 9 through the windows of the electric vehicle 9. For example, the optical sensor 6 may be installed on a support pole provided on the roadside. The optical sensor 6 may also be installed on the wall of a building near the road.

[0056] In other words, the location where the optical sensor 6 is installed is arbitrary, as long as it has a suitable field of view 61 and can send a signal to the contactless power supply device controller 7. The optical sensor 6 may be installed on the side of the power supply unit 5. The optical sensor 6 may have its main body installed inside the housing of the power supply unit 5, with only the imaging lens facing outside the housing. The optical sensor 6 may be attached to a support column installed away from the power supply unit 5. The optical sensor 6 may be attached to the wall of a building along the roadside together with the power supply unit 5. The optical sensor 6 may be installed so as to be able to photograph the interior of the electric vehicle 9 by utilizing the reflection of light from a convex mirror installed at a predetermined position. The convex mirror may be a curve mirror. With this installation, the optical sensor 6 can photograph the interior of the electric vehicle 9 even if there is an obstacle between the power supply unit 5 and the parked position of the electric vehicle 9.

[0057] A polarizing plate may be placed between the object being photographed by the light sensor 6 and the light sensor 6. The polarization plane of the polarizing plate may be set to block the reflected light generated by the window glass of the electric vehicle 9, which is the object being photographed. The polarizing plate makes it easier to detect changes in brightness inside the electric vehicle 9. As a result, the influence of reflected light, which can become noise in the correlation calculation process, can be suppressed.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the range and direction of the field of view 61 of the optical sensor 6 may differ for each of the non-contact power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C.

[0059] [Electric Vehicle 9] Next, we will describe the electric vehicle 9. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the electric vehicle 9 includes a vehicle that can receive power from outside the vehicle to charge its secondary battery or to operate its electric assist devices. The electric vehicle 9 may be, for example, a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

[0060] The electric vehicle 9 has an on-board coil device 91. The on-board coil device 91 is located on the bottom surface of the electric vehicle 9. The on-board coil device 91 includes a coil that links with a magnetic field for contactless power supply. When the electric vehicle 9 is stopped in a position where the on-board coil device 91 is directly facing the ground coil device 3, and the ground coil device 3 generates a magnetic field, AC power is output from the coil of the on-board coil device 91. The on-board coil device 91 may include, for example, a circuit to adjust the impedance. The circuit to adjust the impedance consists of one or both of a capacitor and an inductor.

[0061] The electric vehicle 9 has a power receiving circuit 92. The power receiving circuit 92 is electrically connected to the on-board coil device 91 by an on-board cable. The power receiving circuit 92 converts the AC power input from the on-board coil device 91 into DC power of a voltage suitable for charging the battery 93. The power receiving circuit 92 outputs the DC power to the battery 93. The power receiving circuit 92 includes, for example, a rectifier circuit and a DC-DC converter.

[0062] The electric vehicle 9 has a battery 93. The battery 93 is a secondary battery that stores the power necessary for the electric vehicle 9 to run. The battery 93 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The battery 93 is electrically connected to a power receiving circuit 92 by an on-board cable. The battery 93 is charged by DC power input from the power receiving circuit 92.

[0063] The interior light 94, which is a light-emitting device, is the interior lighting of the electric vehicle 9. The interior light 94 can be switched on and off in response to a command. The interior light 94 may also receive a command from the vehicle controller 96. For example, the interior light 94 is an LED light. The interior light 94 can be switched on and off by controlling the inverter circuit that drives the LED.

[0064] In this embodiment, an interior light 94 is given as an example of a light-emitting device, but any light-emitting device that is installed inside the electric vehicle 9 and emits light is acceptable. Examples of devices installed inside the electric vehicle 9 that emit light include dashboard lighting and an in-vehicle liquid crystal display screen. The lighting pattern signal may instruct the turning on and off of these dashboard lights or liquid crystal display screens. The lighting pattern signal may also instruct the brightness of the dashboard lights or liquid crystal display screens. Since the light-emitting device that the electric vehicle 9 already has is used, no additional devices are required. Therefore, the function of confirming correspondence, which is performed by the contactless power supply equipment 1, can be realized at low cost.

[0065] Furthermore, the light emitted by the light-emitting device is not limited to visible light. Changes in the brightness inside the vehicle, which occur in response to the lighting pattern signal D2 instructed by the contactless power supply device 2, may occur with light in wavelength bands other than visible light. For example, the interior light 94 may be capable of emitting infrared rays. In this case, the windows of the electric vehicle 9 are transparent to infrared rays. The infrared rays emitted by the interior light 94 are detected by the light sensor 6 through the windows. Since infrared light is invisible to the human eye, the possibility of people being affected by changes in the brightness inside the vehicle can be reduced.

[0066] The alignment status verifier 95 transmits a signal indicating that the electric vehicle 9 has been aligned with one of the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, or 2C. The alignment status verifier 95 may also transmit a signal D5 to the vehicle controller 96 indicating that alignment has been achieved. For example, if the electric vehicle 9 is driven by a human, the alignment status verifier 95 is a push button. When a human visually confirms that alignment has been achieved, they press the push button to transmit a signal D5 indicating that alignment has been achieved. Alternatively, if the electric vehicle 9 is driven automatically by an automatic driving system, the alignment status verifier 95 is the automatic driving system. When the automatic driving system automatically drives the electric vehicle 9 and completes the alignment, it transmits a signal D5 indicating that alignment has been achieved.

[0067] The vehicle controller 96 can communicate wirelessly with any of the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, or 2C via the wireless communication device 961. The vehicle controller 96 is connected to the alignment status marker 95, the interior light 94, the power receiving circuit 92, and the battery 93 by a wired or wireless network. The vehicle controller 96 receives a signal D5 from the alignment status marker 95 indicating that alignment is performed. The vehicle controller 96 commands the interior light 94 to turn on and off. When the vehicle controller 96 is receiving contactless power from the contactless power supply device 2, it controls the power receiving circuit 92 while checking the status of the battery 93. As a result, the battery 93 is charged appropriately. The vehicle controller 96 is a programmable controller composed of, for example, a microprocessor, program storage memory, RAM (random access memory), and input / output circuits.

[0068] The antenna, which is part of the wireless communication device 961, may be mounted on the outside of the electric vehicle 9 to ensure good transmission and reception of radio waves.

[0069] If there are multiple electric vehicles 9, there will also be multiple wireless communication devices 961, but each wireless communication device 961 is assigned a unique ID. The ID is, for example, a telephone number when using a mobile phone network for wireless communication, or an IP address when using the internet. As a result, it is possible for specific contactless power supply devices 2 and specific electric vehicles 9 to communicate wirelessly with each other.

[0070] The operation of the contactless power supply equipment 1 will be explained below with reference to Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9. In the following explanation, the case in which an electric vehicle 9 attempts to receive power from the contactless power supply device 2B will be used as an example.

[0071] First, the electric vehicle 9 stops on the ground coil device 3 of a specific contactless power supply device 2 among the multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C. In other words, the electric vehicle 9 aligns itself with the ground coil device 3 of a specific contactless power supply device 2 among the multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C. At this time, the electric vehicle 9 may be aligned with contactless power supply device 2B, or it may be aligned with a contactless power supply device 2A that is different from contactless power supply device 2B. When the alignment is complete, the vehicle controller 96 of the electric vehicle 9 transmits a power supply request signal D1 to the contactless power supply device 2B (S1 in Figures 7 and 8).

[0072] The contactless power supply device controller 7, upon receiving a power supply request signal D1 from the electric vehicle 9 via wireless communication, transmits a lighting pattern signal D2B to the vehicle controller 96 via wireless communication (S2 in Figures 7 and 8). The lighting pattern signal D2B is a command to turn the interior lights 94 on and off according to a lighting pattern, for example, as shown in Figure 6. The lighting pattern signal D2B includes information such as "on for 0.5 seconds, off for 0.5 seconds, on for 0.6 seconds, off for 0.4 seconds, on for 0.4 seconds, off for 0.6 seconds". Such information can be transmitted as a string or by encoding the string in a predetermined way and attaching it to the command.

[0073] The vehicle controller 96 of the electric vehicle 9 receives a lighting pattern signal D2B via wireless communication and, as a result, transmits a signal to the interior light 94 to turn it on or off according to the lighting pattern signal D2B (S3 in Figures 7 and 8). For example, the vehicle controller 96 divides the clock signal from the crystal oscillator to generate a timer interrupt with a period of 10 microseconds to the microprocessor. The microprocessor then counts the number of interrupts and, when a predetermined number of interrupts have occurred, it commands the interior light 94 to turn on or off. This can be achieved by preparing a program that does this.

[0074] The contactless power supply device controller 7 of the contactless power supply device 2B determines whether the time change in brightness detected by the light sensor 6 of the contactless power supply device 2B matches the lighting pattern signal D2B (S4 in Figures 7 and 8).

[0075] As shown in Figure 9(a), assume that the contactless power supply device 2B with which the electric vehicle 9 has established communication is the same as the contactless power supply device 2B with which the electric vehicle 9 is aligned. In this case, the interior of the electric vehicle 9 enters the field of view 61 of the optical sensor 6 of the contactless power supply device 2B through the windows of the electric vehicle 9. As a result, the time change in brightness inside the electric vehicle 9 due to the turning on and off of the interior lights 94 is detected by the optical sensor 6 of the contactless power supply device 2B. That is, the time change in brightness detected by the optical sensor 6 of the contactless power supply device 2B (the light reception pattern signal D4 described later) matches the illumination pattern signal D2B. In this case, the correspondence can be determined to be correct. That is, power can be supplied from the contactless power supply device 2B to the electric vehicle 9 appropriately.

[0076] The contactless power supply device controller 7 of the contactless power supply device 2B transmits a notification to the vehicle controller 96 via wireless communication that power supply has started (Figure 7: S5A). Furthermore, the contactless power supply device controller 7 executes the power supply operation by commanding the inverter device 8 to supply power (Figure 7: S6A). Upon receiving the notification that power supply has started, the vehicle controller 96 executes control to charge the battery 93 with the power supplied via contactless power (Figure 7: S7A).

[0077] As shown in Figure 9(b), suppose that the contactless power supply device 2B with which the electric vehicle 9 has established communication does not match the contactless power supply device 2A with which the electric vehicle 9 is aligned. In this case, the interior of the electric vehicle 9 is not within the field of view 61 of the optical sensor 6 of the contactless power supply device 2B. In this case, for example, the optical sensor 6 is detecting the brightness of the road surface 102 or the brightness inside the other electric vehicle 9. Therefore, the optical sensor 6 of the contactless power supply device 2B cannot detect the time change in brightness inside the electric vehicle 9 due to the turning on and off of the interior lights 94 of the electric vehicle 9. As a result, the time change in brightness detected by the optical sensor 6 of the contactless power supply device 2B (the light reception pattern signal D4 described later) does not match the lighting pattern signal D2B. In this case, it can be determined that the correspondence is incorrect. That is, it is not possible to properly supply power from the contactless power supply device 2B to the electric vehicle 9.

[0078] The contactless power supply device controller 7 of the contactless power supply device 2B notifies the vehicle controller 96 via wireless communication that it cannot supply power (Figure 8: S5B). Since the contactless power supply device controller 7 does not issue a command to the inverter device 8, no power is supplied (Figure 8: S6B). The vehicle controller 96 receives the notification that it cannot supply power and takes actions such as moving to another contactless power supply device 2B or contactless power supply device 2C, or giving up on supplying power (Figure 8: S7B). In other words, it is possible to prevent power supply from starting from the contactless power supply device 2B when the electric vehicle 9 is aligned with a contactless power supply device 2A that is different from the contactless power supply device 2B.

[0079] [Details of the contactless power supply device controller 7] Next, the contactless power supply device controller 7 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13. As shown in Figure 10, the contactless power supply device controller 7 includes a processing unit 71 and a wireless communication device 72.

[0080] [Wireless communication device 72] The wireless communication device 72 communicates wirelessly with the electric vehicle 9. The wireless communication device 72 includes an antenna as a physical component. The wireless communication device 72 receives a power supply request signal D1 from the electric vehicle 9 requesting power supply. The wireless communication device 72 receives a lighting pattern signal D2 from the processing unit 71. The wireless communication device 72 transmits the lighting pattern signal D2 to the electric vehicle 9.

[0081] [Processing device 71] The processing unit 71 performs various information processing necessary for controlling the contactless power supply device 2. These various information processing processes include determining whether or not to supply power from the ground coil device 3 to the on-board coil device 91.

[0082] The processing unit 71 includes a power supply request signal receiving unit 711, a lighting pattern signal providing unit 712, a light receiving pattern signal acquisition unit 713, a correlation evaluation unit 714, and an inverter control unit 715. These components of the processing unit 71 are functional components. The processing unit 71 may also be implemented by a computer executing a mapping program PG. Physically, the processing unit 71 is the computer shown in Figure 12.

[0083] The computer 75 includes a processor, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 751, a main memory unit 752, an auxiliary memory unit 753, a communication control unit 754, an input device 755, and an output device 756. The contactless power supply device controller 7 is composed of one or more computers 75, which consist of this hardware and software such as programs.

[0084] When the processing unit 71 is composed of multiple computers 75, these computers 75 may be directly connected by wires for input and output, or they may be connected via a communication network such as the Internet or an intranet. This connection logically constructs a single processing unit 71.

[0085] The CPU 751 executes the operating system and application programs. The main memory 752 consists of RAM (Random Access Memory). The auxiliary memory 753 is a storage medium consisting of ROM (Read Only Memory), hard disk, and flash memory. The auxiliary memory 753 generally stores a larger amount of data than the main memory 752. The communication control unit 754 consists of a network card or wireless communication module. The input device 755 consists of a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, and microphone for voice input. The output device 756 consists of a display and printer.

[0086] The auxiliary storage unit 753 pre-stores the mapping program PG and the data necessary for processing. The mapping program PG causes the computer 75 to execute each functional element of the contactless power supply device controller 7. For example, the mapping program PG is read by the CPU 751 or the main memory unit 752 and operates at least one of the CPU 751, main memory unit 752, auxiliary storage unit 753, communication control unit 754, input device 755, and output device 756. For example, the mapping program PG reads and writes data to the main memory unit 752 and the auxiliary storage unit 753.

[0087] The mapping program PG may be provided on a tangible recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or semiconductor memory. The mapping program PG may also be provided as a data signal via a communication network.

[0088] [Power supply request signal receiving unit] The power supply request signal receiving unit 711 receives the power supply request signal D1 from the wireless communication device 72. Upon receiving the power supply request signal D1, the power supply request signal receiving unit 711 transmits a command D11 to the lighting pattern signal providing unit 712, instructing it to output the lighting pattern signal D2 to the wireless communication device 72.

[0089] [Lighting pattern signal provider unit 712] When the lighting pattern signal provider 712 receives command D11 from the power supply request signal receiving unit 711, it transmits the lighting pattern signal D2 to the wireless communication device 72. The lighting pattern signal D2 is for flashing the interior lights 94 of the electric vehicle 9. The lighting pattern signal D2 includes information about the lighting pattern. The lighting pattern is defined by the time and number of times the interior lights 94 are turned on, and the time and number of times the interior lights 94 are turned off.

[0090] The lighting patterns indicated by the multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C, which are installed in close proximity, are different for each contactless power supply device 2A, 2B, and 2C. The difference in lighting patterns means, for example, that the correlation between the lighting pattern of contactless power supply device 2A and the lighting pattern of contactless power supply device 2B is low. The term "correlation" here refers to the correlation evaluation calculation performed in the correlation evaluation unit 714, which will be described later. The correlation evaluation calculation will be explained in detail in the description of the correlation evaluation unit 714, which will be described later.

[0091] If the contactless power supply equipment 1 has three contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C, the lighting pattern signals D2A, D2B, and D2C indicated by each of the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C should satisfy the following conditions. Figures 13(a), 13(b), and 13(c) show examples of lighting pattern signals D2A, D2B, and D2C that satisfy the following conditions. In the following explanation, if there is no need to distinguish between lighting pattern signals D2A, D2B, and D2C, they will be referred to as "lighting pattern signal D2". The correlation between the lighting pattern signal D2A of contactless power supply device 2A and the lighting pattern signal D2B of contactless power supply device 2B is low. The correlation between the lighting pattern signal D2A of contactless power supply device 2A and the lighting pattern signal D2C of contactless power supply device 2C is low. The correlation between the lighting pattern signal D2B of contactless power supply device 2B and the lighting pattern signal D2 of contactless power supply device 2C is low. According to the lighting pattern signals D2A, D2B, and D2C that satisfy the above conditions, the possibility of confusion can be reduced when multiple electric vehicles 9 are attempting to receive power simultaneously from multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C.

[0092] According to the lighting pattern signal D2 described above, when two or more electric vehicles 9 enter simultaneously and receive instructions from two contactless power supply devices 2A and 2B to turn on and off the interior lights 94 according to lighting pattern signals D2A and D2B, the interior lights 94 will be turned on and off according to different lighting pattern signals D2A and D2B. Therefore, the possibility of the contactless power supply devices 2A and 2B confusing multiple electric vehicles 9 can be reduced.

[0093] Furthermore, it is desirable that the lighting pattern signal D2 includes at least two instances of turning the lights on and off. For example, the above explanation illustrates a lighting pattern signal D2 in which the lights on and off occur three times each. With such a lighting pattern signal D2, the interior lights 94 can also be turned on and off by a person inside the electric vehicle 9. This avoids confusion with operations that are not based on the instructions of the lighting pattern signal D2 issued by the contactless power supply device 2.

[0094] Furthermore, the lighting pattern signal D2 instructed by a particular contactless power supply device 2 does not need to be a unique pattern. The contactless power supply device 2 may have multiple different lighting pattern signals D2 pre-configured. The contactless power supply device 2 may instruct the electric vehicle 9 to display the lighting pattern signals D2 in a pre-set order. The contactless power supply device 2 may instruct the electric vehicle 9 to display a lighting pattern signal D2 randomly selected from the multiple lighting pattern signals D2. Variations of the lighting pattern signal D2 include changing the on-time and off-time, or changing the number of on-times and off-times.

[0095] [Light receiving pattern signal acquisition unit 713] The light-receiving pattern signal acquisition unit 713 receives the light-receiving pattern signal D4 from the light sensor 6. The light-receiving pattern signal D4 is, for example, video data. The video data includes multiple pixel information. Each of the multiple pixel information includes information about the time change in brightness. The light-receiving pattern signal acquisition unit 713 transmits the light-receiving pattern signal D4 to the correlation evaluation unit 714.

[0096] [Correlation Evaluation Department] The correlation evaluation unit 714 may be implemented by analog signal processing using analog electronic circuits. The correlation evaluation unit 714 may also be implemented by digital signal processing using a microprocessor. If digital signal processing is used, a DSP (digital signal processor) or GPU (graphics processing unit) suitable for digital signal processing may be used.

[0097] The specific details of the correlation evaluation unit 714 will now be explained. The specific examples described below are examples of the correlation evaluation unit 714. The correlation evaluation unit 714 can employ any method to determine whether the time change of the luminance signal obtained from the light sensor 6 matches the illumination pattern signal D2. For example, various pattern matching methods can be applied to the correlation evaluation unit 714.

[0098] [Determination of whether the change in brightness inside the electric vehicle 9 matches the lighting pattern signal D2] In the image captured by the light sensor 6, the following processing is performed for each pixel 62 within the field of view 61. The field of view 61 can have any shape. For example, the shape of the field of view 61 may be rectangular. The field of view 61 may be set to extend from the 100th pixel to the 500th pixel horizontally and from the 50th pixel to the 350th pixel vertically on the image sensor of the light sensor 6.

[0099] The correlation between the light-receiving pattern signal D4 and the illumination pattern signal D2 is calculated. The correlation evaluation unit 714 includes a light-receiving pattern element value setting unit 714a, an illumination pattern element value setting unit 714b, a correlation element value calculation unit 714c, a correlation evaluation value calculation unit 714d, and a correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q.

[0100] [Light receiving pattern element value setting unit 714a] The light-receiving pattern element value setting unit 714a receives the light-receiving pattern signal D4 from the light-receiving pattern signal acquisition unit 713. The light-receiving pattern element value setting unit 714a generates light-receiving pattern evaluation information D41 by assigning 1 to the light-receiving pattern signal D4 as a numerical value, and -1 to the light-receiving pattern evaluation information D41. The determination of whether the light is on or off may be made, for example, by whether the value indicating brightness is greater than a threshold. The light-receiving pattern element value setting unit 714a passes the light-receiving pattern evaluation information D41 to the correlation element value calculation unit 714c. Note that the numbers assigned to on and off are not limited to 1 and -1. The light-receiving pattern element value setting unit 714a may also use the brightness value directly as the light-receiving pattern evaluation information D41.

[0101] [Lighting pattern element value setting unit 714b] The lighting pattern element value setting unit 714b receives the lighting pattern signal D2 from the lighting pattern signal providing unit 712. The lighting pattern element value setting unit 714b generates lighting pattern evaluation information D21 by assigning 1 to "on" and -1 to "off" as numerical values ​​to the lighting pattern signal D2. The lighting pattern element value setting unit 714b passes the lighting pattern evaluation information D21 to the correlation element value calculation unit 714c. Note that the numbers assigned to "on" and "off" are not limited to 1 and -1.

[0102] [Correlation element value calculation unit 714c] The correlation element value calculation unit 714c receives light-receiving pattern evaluation information D41 from the light-receiving pattern element value setting unit 714a. The correlation element value calculation unit 714c receives illumination pattern evaluation information D21 from the illumination pattern element value setting unit 714b. The correlation element value calculation unit 714c obtains a correlation element value D6, which is the product of the element value of the light-receiving pattern evaluation information D41 at a certain time and the element value of the illumination pattern evaluation information D21 at the same time. The correlation element value calculation unit 714c obtains a correlation element value D6 for each time period. As a result, the correlation element value calculation unit 714c obtains multiple correlation element values ​​D6.

[0103] [Correlation evaluation value calculation unit 714d] The correlation evaluation value calculation unit 714d receives multiple correlation element values ​​D6 from the correlation element value calculation unit 714c. The correlation evaluation value calculation unit 714d obtains the sum of the multiple correlation element values ​​D6 as the correlation evaluation value D7. The correlation evaluation value calculation unit 714d obtains the correlation evaluation value D7 for each pixel 62. Then, the correlation evaluation value calculation unit 714d passes the correlation evaluation value D7 to the correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q.

[0104] In the block diagram shown in Figure 11, the correlation element value calculation unit 714c and the correlation evaluation value calculation unit 714d are shown as a sum-of-products calculator 714t.

[0105] As a method for calculating the correlation by calculating the sum of the products of two signals, for example, the method shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-145331 may be used.

[0106] For example, if a sum-of-products operation is performed at 0.1-second intervals, it will be as follows. If the correspondence is correct, the light-receiving pattern signal D4 (a time-varying signal of brightness, see Figure 14(b)) will change brightness at the same timing as the illumination pattern signal D2B (see Figure 14(a)). For example, if a sum-of-products operation is performed with the illumination pattern signal D2 assuming that the brightness changes between 100 and 80, the correlation (C1) will be C1 = 100 × 5 - 80 × 5 + 100 × 6 - 80 × 4 + 100 × 4 - 80 × 6 = 300.

[0107] If the correspondence is incorrect, the brightness of the light-receiving pattern signal D4 will not change at the same timing as the lighting pattern signal D2B. For example, when the interior light 94 remains lit, the light-receiving pattern signal D4 output by the light sensor 6 will have a constant brightness of 100, as shown by the time-varying brightness signal in Figure 14(c). In this case, when performing a sum-of-products operation with the lighting pattern signal D2, the correlation (C2) will be C2 = 100 × 5 - 100 × 5 + 100 × 6 - 100 × 4 + 100 × 4 - 100 × 6 = 0.

[0108] If the received light pattern signal D4 matches the illumination pattern signal D2, the sum of products, i.e., the correlation, is a large value (e.g., C1). If it does not match the illumination pattern signal D2, the correlation is a small value (e.g., C2). By comparing it with an appropriate threshold (e.g., 200), it can be determined that if the correlation is greater than or equal to the threshold, it matches the illumination pattern signal D2 (i.e., the correspondence is correct), and if it is less than the threshold, it does not match the illumination pattern signal D2 (i.e., the correspondence is incorrect).

[0109] Furthermore, when performing a sum-of-products calculation using the lighting pattern signal D2, assigning 1 to "on" and -1 to "off" as numerical values, it is also possible to use a lighting pattern signal D2 where the sum of the on time (0.5 + 0.6 + 0.4 = 1.5 seconds) and the sum of the off time (0.5 + 0.4 + 0.6 = 1.5 seconds) are equal. With such a setting, the sum-of-products value can be made approximately zero when the received pattern signal D4 does not match the lighting pattern signal D2. In particular, the sum-of-products value becomes zero when the brightness of pixel 62 is constant. In other words, the sum-of-products value becomes zero when the brightness of pixel 62 does not change over time. As a result, it becomes easier to determine whether the received pattern signal D4 matches the lighting pattern signal D2.

[0110] [Correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q] The correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q receives the correlation evaluation value D7 from the correlation evaluation value calculation unit 714d. The correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q uses the correlation evaluation value D7 to determine whether the light-receiving pattern signal D4 matches the illumination pattern signal D2 for the entire field of view. The correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q passes the determined result as correlation evaluation result information D8 to the inverter control unit 715.

[0111] For example, the correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q determines whether the value of the correlation evaluation value D7 obtained for each pixel 62 exceeds a threshold. If the value of the correlation evaluation value D7 exceeds the threshold, it can be determined that the brightness change of the pixel 62 corresponding to that correlation evaluation value D7 matches the illumination pattern signal D2. If the value of the correlation evaluation value D7 does not exceed the threshold, it can be determined that the brightness change of the pixel 62 corresponding to that correlation evaluation value D7 does not match the illumination pattern signal D2. The correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q then counts the number of pixels in which the correlation evaluation value D7 exceeds the threshold and the number of pixels in which the correlation evaluation value D7 does not exceed the threshold.

[0112] The correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q may determine that the light-receiving pattern signal D4 matches the illumination pattern signal D2 as a whole field of view if the number of pixels in which the correlation evaluation value D7 exceeds the threshold is greater than the number of pixels in which the correlation evaluation value D7 does not exceed the threshold. The correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q may determine that the light-receiving pattern signal D4 does not match the illumination pattern signal D2 as a whole field of view if the number of pixels in which the correlation evaluation value D7 exceeds the threshold is less than the number of pixels in which the correlation evaluation value D7 does not exceed the threshold.

[0113] If the number of pixels in which the correlation evaluation value D7 exceeds a threshold exceeds a certain ratio to the number of pixels in the field of view 61, it may be determined that the light-receiving pattern signal D4 matches the illumination pattern signal D2 as a whole field of view. In other words, if the number of pixels determined to match the illumination pattern signal D2 exceeds a certain ratio to the number of pixels in the field of view 61, it may be determined that the light-receiving pattern signal D4 matches the illumination pattern signal D2 as a whole field of view. The threshold ratio may be, for example, 70%. If the number of pixels in which the correlation evaluation value D7 exceeds a threshold does not exceed a certain ratio to the number of pixels in the field of view 61, it may be determined that the light-receiving pattern signal D4 does not match the illumination pattern signal D2 as a whole field of view.

[0114] If the correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q determines that the light-receiving pattern signal D4 matches the lighting pattern signal D2, it transmits correlation evaluation result information D8, which includes the information "start power supply," to the inverter control unit 715. If the correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q determines that the light-receiving pattern signal D4 does not match the lighting pattern signal D2, it transmits correlation evaluation result information D8, which includes the information "do not start power supply," to the inverter control unit 715.

[0115] Furthermore, the correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q may transmit the correlation evaluation result information D8 to the inverter control unit 715 only if the received light pattern signal D4 matches the illumination pattern signal D2. In other words, if the correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q determines that the received light pattern signal D4 does not match the illumination pattern signal D2, it does not need to transmit the correlation evaluation result information D8 to the inverter control unit 715.

[0116] As described above, by using multiple correlation evaluation values ​​D7 obtained for each pixel 62, an appropriate determination can be made. Specifically, the field of view 61 of the light sensor 6 may include things other than the windows of the electric vehicle 9, such as pillars. In this case, the brightness of the pixel 62 that is photographing the pillar does not change over time. Therefore, the pixel 62 corresponding to the pillar will be determined to have a result that the received light pattern signal D4 does not match the illumination pattern signal D2. Even if there are a few pixels 62 for which the received light pattern signal D4 does not match the illumination pattern signal D2, if the received light pattern signal D4 matches the illumination pattern signal D2 in many pixels 62, it can be determined that the received light pattern signal D4 matches the illumination pattern signal D2 for the entire field of view. As a result, an appropriate determination can be made even if things other than the windows of the electric vehicle 9 are included in the field of view 61 of the light sensor 6.

[0117] Furthermore, the calculation process of the correlation evaluation unit 714 described above may include any additional processing as needed. For example, it may include a smoothing process that applies a spatial smoothing filter to the image.

[0118] [Inverter control unit 715] The inverter control unit 715 controls the inverter device 8. The inverter control unit 715 receives correlation evaluation result information D8 from the correlation evaluation unit 714. More specifically, the inverter control unit 715 receives correlation evaluation result information D8 from the correlation evaluation value determination unit 714q. The correlation evaluation result information D8 includes information indicating either "start power supply" or "do not start power supply". The correlation evaluation result information D8 may also include other information related to power supply. When the correlation evaluation result information D8 includes information indicating "start power supply", the inverter control unit 715 transmits a power supply start signal D9 to the inverter device 8 to start supplying power.

[0119] [Effects and Effects] The contactless power supply equipment 1 includes a power transmission unit 3S that includes one or more ground coil devices 3 that supply power to an electric vehicle 9 in a contactless manner, and a matching device 4 that determines whether or not to start supplying power from the ground coil devices 3. The matching device 4 includes a plurality of wireless communication devices 72 that send a lighting pattern signal D2 to the electric vehicle 9 requesting power supply, causing the interior lights 94 of the electric vehicle 9 to illuminate in a predetermined lighting pattern, a plurality of light sensors 6 that detect the time change in brightness that occurs in response to the lighting pattern signal D2 in the electric vehicle 9 that has received the lighting pattern signal D2, and a plurality of processing devices 71 that determine whether or not to start supplying power from the ground coil devices 3 in response to the time change in brightness detected by the light sensors 6.

[0120] The contactless power supply equipment 1 transmits a lighting pattern signal D2 from the matching device 4 to the electric vehicle 9, which causes the interior lights 94 of the electric vehicle 9 to illuminate, in order to confirm the correspondence. The matching device 4 uses the light pattern received by the light sensor 6 and the lighting pattern instructed to the electric vehicle 9 to decide whether or not to start supplying power from the ground coil device 3. With this configuration, it is possible to confirm that the electric vehicle 9 that is seeking to receive power and the ground coil device 3 of the contactless power supply equipment 2 that is seeking to supply power to the electric vehicle 9 are in correspondence.

[0121] When the processing unit 71 receives a signal from the electric vehicle 9 requesting power supply, it causes the wireless communication device 72 to transmit a lighting pattern signal D2, which is linked to the ground coil device 3 that is about to start supplying power, to the electric vehicle 9 requesting power supply. With this configuration, the correspondence with the electric vehicle 9 can be confirmed in each of the ground coil devices 3 of the multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C.

[0122] The spacing between the multiple ground coil devices 3 is longer than the total length of the vehicle. With such an installation, for example, multiple ground coil devices 3 for contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C can be installed along the road 101.

[0123] Multiple ground coil devices 3 are installed at predetermined intervals along the edge of the road 101. This installation method also allows for the installation of multiple ground coil devices 3 for contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C along the road 101.

[0124] The processing unit 71 acquires the lighting pattern signal D2 and the light reception pattern signal D4, which indicates the time change in the brightness of the light received by the light sensor 6. When it is determined that the light reception pattern signal D4 and the lighting pattern signal D2 satisfy a predetermined relationship, it starts supplying power from the ground coil device 3. Through this process, the correspondence between each of the ground coil devices 3 of the multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C and the electric vehicle 9 can be confirmed in good condition.

[0125] The processing unit 71 obtains multiple correlation element values ​​D6, which are the products of the element values ​​of the illumination pattern signal D2 at a predetermined time and the element values ​​of the light-receiving pattern signal D4 at a predetermined time. It then obtains a correlation evaluation value D7, which is the sum of the multiple correlation element values ​​D6, and uses the correlation evaluation value D7 to determine whether the light-receiving pattern signal D4 and the illumination pattern signal D2 satisfy a predetermined relationship. This process makes it possible to easily determine whether the light-receiving pattern and the illumination pattern satisfy a predetermined relationship.

[0126] The contactless power supply method includes the steps of: sending a lighting pattern signal D2 to an electric vehicle 9 requesting power supply to cause the interior lights 94 of the electric vehicle 9 to illuminate in a predetermined lighting pattern (S1); detecting a time change in brightness that occurs in response to the lighting pattern signal D2 in the electric vehicle 9 that received the signal (S4); and deciding whether or not to start supplying power from the ground coil device 3 in response to the time change in brightness detected in the step of detecting a time change in brightness that occurs in response to the lighting pattern signal D2 (S4). This method also makes it possible to confirm that the electric vehicle 9 that is seeking power supply and the ground coil device 3 of the contactless power supply device that is seeking to supply power to the electric vehicle 9 are in association.

[0127] The matching device 4 includes a plurality of wireless communication devices 72 that send a lighting pattern signal D2 to an electric vehicle 9 requesting power supply, causing the interior lights 94 of the electric vehicle 9 to illuminate in a predetermined lighting pattern; a plurality of light sensors 6 that detect the time change in brightness that occurs in response to the lighting pattern signal D2 in the electric vehicle 9 that has received the lighting pattern signal D2; and a plurality of processing devices 71 that decide whether or not to start supplying power from the ground coil device 3 according to the time change in brightness detected by the light sensors 6. The matching device 4 also makes it possible to confirm that the electric vehicle 9 that is seeking power supply and the ground coil device 3 of the contactless power supply device 2 that is intending to supply power to the electric vehicle 9 are associated.

[0128] In short, the contactless power supply equipment 1 has an optical sensor 6 positioned to the side of the entry and / or exit path of the electric vehicle 9. The side of the entry and / or exit path may be defined as a position that does not obstruct the entry and exit of the electric vehicle 9. The optical sensor 6 is installed to view the parked electric vehicle 9 from the side, aligned with the contactless power supply device 2 which includes the optical sensor 6. The field of view 61 of the optical sensor 6 is set to detect the brightness inside the electric vehicle 9, which is parked in a position where it can receive power from the contactless power supply device 2 which includes the optical sensor 6, through the windows of the electric vehicle 9. The field of view 61 of the optical sensor 6 does not include the interior of the electric vehicle 9 that is parked in a position where it can receive power from other contactless power supply devices 2.

[0129] Assume that the electric vehicle 9 is aligned with one of the contactless power supply devices 2. The contactless power supply device 2, which the electric vehicle 9 is communicating wirelessly with, instructs the electric vehicle 9 to turn on and off the interior lights 94 according to a lighting pattern signal D2 that specifies a combination of on and off times.

[0130] The electric vehicle 9 turns its interior lights 94 on and off according to the lighting pattern signal D2. That is, the brightness inside the electric vehicle 9 changes according to the combination of on and off times specified by the lighting pattern signal D2.

[0131] If the light sensor 6 of the contactless power supply device 2 detects a change in brightness according to the lighting pattern signal D2, the contactless power supply device 2 determines that "the correspondence between the electric vehicle 9 and the contactless power supply device 2 is correct." Having determined that the correspondence is correct, the contactless power supply device 2 then begins contactless power supply to the electric vehicle 9.

[0132] If the light sensor 6 of the contactless power supply device 2 does not detect a change in brightness according to the lighting pattern signal D2, the contactless power supply device 2 will determine that "the correspondence between the electric vehicle 9 and the contactless power supply device 2 is incorrect." Cases in which the correspondence is determined to be incorrect include, for example, when the brightness does not change, or when the brightness changes but the bright and dark times differ from those of the lighting pattern signal D2. If the contactless power supply device 2A determines that the correspondence is incorrect, it will not start contactless power supply to the electric vehicle 9.

[0133] The contactless power supply equipment 1 that performs the above-described operation can appropriately provide contactless power to the electric vehicle 9 when multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C are located in close proximity to each other.

[0134] Furthermore, the lighting pattern signal D2 that the contactless power supply device 2 instructs the electric vehicle 9 is different for each contactless power supply device 2. More specifically, the lighting pattern signal D2 is different for each ground coil device 3. As a result, the possibility of confusing multiple electric vehicles 9 can be reduced. Moreover, when multiple contactless power supply devices 2 are present along the road 101, it is possible to determine whether the correspondence is appropriate with minimal installation effort. In addition, the interior lights 94 installed in the electric vehicle 9 are used to perform the determination of whether the correspondence is appropriate. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the correspondence is appropriate at low cost.

[0135] The contactless power supply device 2 photographs the interior of the electric vehicle 9 through the window of the electric vehicle 9. Unlike the license plate, which is located close to the road surface 102, the window of the electric vehicle 9 is located far from the road surface 102. As a result, the possibility of image signals containing brightness information becoming unclear due to dirt such as splashed mud can be reduced.

[0136] [Variation] The contactless power supply equipment, contactless power supply method, and matching device of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0137] [Variations of the object] In the above explanation, an electric vehicle 9 was used as an example of an object that receives power. However, any mobile object that has a light-emitting device can receive power. For example, the object may be an unmanned transport cart, a ship, a flying object such as a multicopter, or an underwater vehicle. The light-emitting device may be installed inside the body of the mobile vehicle or on the outside of the body. If the light-emitting device is installed inside the body, a window is required to observe the light emitted by the device from the outside. If the light-emitting device is installed outside the body, it may be configured to turn on and off lights such as LED lights installed on the outer side.

[0138] [Variations of the lighting pattern signal D2] In the above explanation, the lighting pattern signal D2 instructed the interior light 94 to turn on and off. However, the lighting pattern signal D2 may also instruct a change in the brightness of the interior light 94. A lighting pattern signal D2 that instructs a change in brightness may be one that illuminates brightly for 0.5 seconds, dims for 0.5 seconds, illuminates brightly for 0.6 seconds, dims for 0.4 seconds, illuminates brightly for 0.4 seconds, and dims for 0.6 seconds. Even with such a lighting pattern signal D2 that instructs a change in brightness, the same effect as a lighting pattern signal D2 that instructs turning on and off can be obtained.

[0139] [Variation of the Correlation Evaluation Section 1] The processing time in the contactless power supply device controller 7, the wireless communication device 72, the vehicle controller 96, and the interior lights 94, as well as the communication between them, requires a predetermined amount of time. As a result, a delay time TD (see Figures 7 and 8) occurs between the time the contactless power supply device controller 7 transmits the lighting pattern signal D2 and the time the interior lights 94 turn on and off according to the lighting pattern signal D2. This delay time TD is, for example, on the order of 0.1 seconds.

[0140] As shown in Figure 15, the correlation evaluation unit 714X may perform an evaluation that takes this delay time into account. The operation of calculating the correlation by performing a sum-of-products calculation involves, for example, preparing lighting pattern signals D2 that are delayed by a predetermined time, such as zero, 0.1 seconds, 0.2 seconds, etc. Next, the sum of products of the delayed lighting pattern signal D2 and the received light pattern signal D4 obtained from the light sensor 6 is calculated, and the largest sum of products value is taken as the correlation value.

[0141] The correlation evaluation unit 714X has multiple delay units 714S. The delay time for each delay unit 714S is assumed to be 0.1 seconds. Each time the lighting pattern signal D2 passes through a delay unit 714S, the lighting pattern signal D2 is delayed by 0.1 seconds.

[0142] The sum-of-products unit 714f calculates the sum of products of the undelayed lighting pattern signal D2 (see Figure 16(a)) and the light reception pattern signal D4 (see Figure 16(h) or Figure 16(i)). The sum-of-products unit 714g calculates the sum of products of the illumination pattern signal D2 (see Figure 16(b)) which is delayed by 0.1 seconds, and the light reception pattern signal D4 (see Figure 16(h) or Figure 16(i)). The sum-of-products unit 714h calculates the sum of products of the 0.2-second delayed lighting pattern signal D2 (see Figure 16(c)) and the light reception pattern signal D4 (see Figure 16(h) or Figure 16(i)). The sum-of-products unit 714i calculates the sum of products of the lighting pattern signal D2 (see Figure 16(d)) which is delayed by 0.3 seconds, and the light reception pattern signal D4 (see Figure 16(h) or Figure 16(i)). The sum-of-products unit 714j calculates the sum of products of the 0.4-second delayed lighting pattern signal D2 (see Figure 16(e)) and the light reception pattern signal D4 (see Figure 16(h) or Figure 16(i)). The sum-of-products unit 714k calculates the sum of products of the 0.5-second delayed lighting pattern signal D2 (see Figure 16(f)) and the light reception pattern signal D4 (see Figure 16(h) or Figure 16(i)). The sum-of-products unit 714p calculates the sum of products of the illumination pattern signal D2 (see Figure 16(g)) which is delayed by 0.6 seconds, and the light reception pattern signal D4 (see Figure 16(h) or Figure 16(i)).

[0143] As shown in Figure 16(h), the delay time TD is 0.3 seconds, and the light-receiving pattern signal D4, whose brightness changes in accordance with the illumination pattern signal D2, is obtained with a delay of 0.3 seconds. In this case, the outputs of the multiply-accumulate units 714f, 714g, 714h, 714i, 714j, 714k, and 714p are as follows. Sum-accumulate unit 714f: -60 714g:60 Sum-accumulate unit 714h:180 714i multiply-accumulate unit: 300 Sum-accumulate unit 714j:180 714k:60 multiply-accumulate unit Sum-accumulate unit 714p: -60

[0144] In other words, the sum of the products of the 0.3-second delayed lighting pattern signal D2 and the received light pattern signal D4 (output of the sum-of-products arithmetic unit 714i) is the largest.

[0145] As shown in Figure 16(i), when a light-receiving pattern signal D4 is obtained in which the brightness does not change in correspondence with the illumination pattern signal D2, the outputs of the multiply-accumulate units 714f, 714g, 714h, 714i, 714j, 714k, and 714p are all zero.

[0146] Specifically, the sum of products of the illumination pattern signal D2 and the light-receiving pattern signal D4, which have different delay times DT, is calculated, and these are compared to obtain the correlation value of the maximum value. As a result, if the light-receiving pattern signal D4 matches the illumination pattern signal D2, the sum of products value (300) obtained when the illumination pattern signal D2 is delayed by 0.3 seconds is obtained as the correlation. If the light-receiving pattern signal D4 does not match the illumination pattern signal D2, the sum of products value is 0. These are equal to the correlation values ​​(C1, C2) when there is no delay, and subsequent processing can be carried out in the same way as when there is no delay.

[0147] Furthermore, the maximum delay time in the correlation calculation between the light receiving pattern signal D4 and the lighting pattern signal D2 (0.6 seconds in this embodiment) should be greater than or equal to the maximum delay time from when the contactless power supply device controller 7 transmits the lighting pattern signal D2 to the electric vehicle 9 until the electric vehicle 9 turns the interior lights 94 on and off according to the lighting pattern signal D2, and the light sensor 6 detects this, assuming that the contactless power supply device controller 7, the light sensor 6, the vehicle controller 96, and the interior lights 94 are functioning normally.

[0148] For example, even if the electric vehicle 9 is parked in the correct location, the mapping may not be confirmed because equipment such as the interior light 94 is malfunctioning is not working properly. In such a case, the interior light 94 will not turn on or off, so the received light pattern signal D4 will not match the lighting pattern signal D2, and power will not be supplied from the contactless power supply device 2A to the electric vehicle 9.

[0149] [Modified version 2 of the correlation evaluation unit] The above explanation described the case where signals from all pixels 62 within the field of view 61 are used. For example, if enough pixels are available to acquire the brightness inside the electric vehicle 9, the correlation calculation may be performed using signals from only every other pixel 62. This type of processing can reduce the computational load of the correlation calculation. The temporal resolution was also explained using 0.1-second intervals, but if it is possible to determine the correlation with the lighting pattern signal D2 and to detect the on / off operation of the interior lights 94 and the temporal change in brightness by the light sensor 6, the temporal interval defining the temporal resolution may be longer or shorter than 0.1 seconds.

[0150] [Modification of the correlation evaluation unit 3] In the above-described embodiment, the correlation evaluation unit 714 is shown as performing a sum-of-products operation for each pixel 62. As shown in Figure 17, the correlation evaluation unit 714Y may calculate the spatial average value of the brightness of the pixels 62 in the field of view 61 and perform a sum-of-products operation on the average value. For example, the correlation evaluation unit 714Y may have a calculator 714r that obtains the average value of the brightness values ​​of four pixels 62. Here, "spatial average value" refers to the average value for an image obtained at a specific time. This type of processing can also reduce the computational load of the correlation calculation.

[0151] [Modification of the correlation evaluation section 4] If the light sensor 6 is a camera, the lighting pattern signal D2 is obtained as video data containing multiple still image data. The correlation evaluation unit 714 may perform the following processes: extracting the window area of ​​the electric vehicle 9 from the lighting pattern signal D2, which is video data, and performing correlation evaluation calculations on the extracted area. Image recognition technology can be applied to the process of extracting the window area of ​​the electric vehicle 9. In the video data, it is unnecessary to perform correlation evaluation calculations on pixels 62 in areas where the interior of the electric vehicle 9 is not visible, such as the side pillars. By performing calculations only on the window area of ​​the electric vehicle 9 that is necessary for the correlation evaluation calculation, the computational load can be reduced.

[0152] [Variations of installation of contactless power supply equipment] The above description illustrates the installation of the contactless power supply equipment 1 on the side of the road. The contactless power supply equipment 1 may also be installed in the parking lot 104 so that the front or rear of the electric vehicle 9 faces the contactless power supply device 2, as shown in Figure 18. In this case, the installation interval of the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C is shorter than the total length of the electric vehicle 9. Also, the installation interval of the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C is longer than the total width of the electric vehicle 9. More specifically, the installation interval of the contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C is the installation interval of the ground coil device 3. In this case, the optical sensor 6 photographs the interior of the electric vehicle 9 through the front or rear window of the electric vehicle 9.

[0153] [Variations of contactless power supply equipment] As shown in Figure 19, the aforementioned contactless power supply equipment 1 had three contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C having the same configuration. With this configuration, one correspondence device 4 is provided for each ground coil device 3.

[0154] As shown in Figure 20, the modified contactless power supply equipment 1A may have one correspondence device 4 for three ground coil devices 3. In this case, the three ground coil devices 3 are installed within range of the radio waves from the wireless communication device 72. Furthermore, the three ground coil devices 3 are installed within a range that allows the interior lights 94 of an electric vehicle 9 parked on them to be included in the field of view 61 of the light sensor 6. The processing device 71 sets the entire field of view of the light sensor 6 into a first region corresponding to the electric vehicle 9 parked on the first ground coil device 3, a second region corresponding to the electric vehicle 9 parked on the second ground coil device 3, and a third region corresponding to the electric vehicle 9 parked on the third ground coil device 3. Then, the correlation calculation described above is performed in each region.

[0155] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which the contactless power supply equipment 1 is equipped with multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C is illustrated. The matching device 4 determines whether the electric vehicle 9 requesting power is located on the ground coil device 3 of the contactless power supply device 2 that is about to start supplying power, and whether power supply is possible. For example, even if the contactless power supply equipment 1 has only one contactless power supply device 2, there may be two states: one in which the electric vehicle 9 requesting power is located on the ground coil device 3 of the contactless power supply device 2 that is about to start supplying power, and power supply is possible; and another in which the electric vehicle 9 requesting power is not located on the ground coil device 3 of the contactless power supply device 2 that is about to start supplying power, and power supply is not possible. In such a case, if the matching device 4 cannot detect a light-receiving pattern signal D4 that matches the lighting pattern signal D2 transmitted to the electric vehicle 9, it can be determined that the electric vehicle 9 is not on the ground coil device 3. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether power supply is possible or not.

[0156] In other words, in this specification, "correspondence" is defined as whether or not the electric vehicle 9 requesting power is located on the ground coil device 3 of the contactless power supply device 2 that is about to start supplying power. "Correspondence" means that the electric vehicle 9 requesting power is located on the ground coil device 3 of the contactless power supply device 2 that is about to start supplying power, and is in a state where power can be supplied. "Not correspondence" means that the electric vehicle 9 requesting power is not located on the ground coil device 3 of the contactless power supply device 2 that is about to start supplying power, and is in a state where power cannot be supplied. The state where power cannot be supplied includes the case where the electric vehicle 9 is located on a ground coil device 3 other than the ground coil device 3 that is about to start supplying power. In this case, it is assumed that the contactless power supply equipment 1 includes multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, 2C. Furthermore, the state where power cannot be supplied also includes the case where the electric vehicle 9 is located in a place where no ground coil device 3 is installed in the first place. In this case, the issue can occur even if the contactless power supply equipment 1 includes multiple contactless power supply devices 2A, 2B, and 2C, or even if the contactless power supply equipment 1 includes only one contactless power supply device 2A.

[0157] [Note] This disclosure includes the following components:

[0158] The contactless power supply equipment of this disclosure is [1] "a power transmission unit including one or more coils that supply power to an object without contact, and a matching device that determines whether or not to start supplying the power from the coils, wherein the matching device includes one or more transmitting units that send a lighting pattern signal to the object that requests the supply of power, causing a light-emitting device provided on the object to emit light in a predetermined lighting pattern, one or more light-receiving units that detect a change in brightness over time that occurs in the object that has received the lighting pattern signal in accordance with the lighting pattern signal, and one or more processing units that determine whether or not to start supplying the power from the coils in accordance with the change in brightness over time detected by the light-receiving units."

[0159] The contactless power supply equipment of the present disclosure is [2] "the contactless power supply equipment according to [1] above, wherein the power transmission unit includes a plurality of coils, and when the processing unit receives a signal from the object requesting power supply, it causes the transmitting unit to transmit the lighting pattern signal associated with the coil that is to start supplying power to the object requesting power supply."

[0160] The contactless power supply equipment of the present disclosure is [3] "the contactless power supply equipment according to [1] or [2] above, wherein the power transmission unit includes a plurality of coils, the object is a vehicle, and the spacing between the plurality of coils is longer than the total length of the vehicle."

[0161] The contactless power supply equipment of the present disclosure is [4] "the contactless power supply equipment according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the power transmission unit includes a plurality of coils, the object is a vehicle, and the spacing between the plurality of coils is shorter than the total length of the vehicle and longer than the total width of the vehicle."

[0162] The contactless power supply equipment of the present disclosure is [5] "the contactless power supply equipment according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the power transmission unit includes a plurality of the coils, the plurality of coils are installed at predetermined intervals along the edge of a road."

[0163] The contactless power supply equipment of the present disclosure is [6] "the contactless power supply equipment described in any one of the above [1] to [5], wherein the processing unit acquires the illumination pattern signal and a light-receiving pattern signal indicating the time change in the brightness of the light received by the light-receiving unit, and starts supplying power from the coil when it can be determined that the light-receiving pattern signal and the illumination pattern signal satisfy a predetermined relationship."

[0164] The contactless power supply equipment of the present disclosure is [7] "the lighting pattern signal includes an element value indicating a command to emit light and an element value indicating a command to turn off the light, the light receiving pattern signal includes an element value indicating a state in which light is emitted and an element value indicating a state in which the light is turned off, the processing unit obtains a plurality of correlation element values ​​which are the product of the element value of the lighting pattern signal at a predetermined time and the element value of the light receiving pattern signal at the predetermined time, obtains a correlation evaluation value which is the sum of the plurality of correlation element values, and uses the correlation evaluation value to determine whether the light receiving pattern signal and the lighting pattern signal satisfy a predetermined relationship, the contactless power supply equipment of the present disclosure [6]."

[0165] The contactless power supply equipment of this disclosure is [8] "a contactless power supply method for supplying power from a coil to an object without contact, comprising: sending a lighting pattern signal to an object that requests the supply of power, causing a light-emitting device provided on the object to emit light in a predetermined lighting pattern; detecting a change in brightness over time that occurs in response to the lighting pattern signal when the object receives the lighting pattern signal; and deciding whether or not to start supplying power from the coil in response to the change in brightness over time detected in the step of detecting the change in brightness over time that occurs in response to the lighting pattern signal."

[0166] The contactless power supply equipment of this disclosure is [9] "a matching device for determining whether or not to start supplying power from one or more coils that supply power to an object in a contactless manner, comprising: one or more transmitting units that send an illumination pattern signal to the object that requests the supply of power, causing a light-emitting device provided on the object to emit light in a predetermined illumination pattern; one or more light-receiving units that detect a change in brightness over time that occurs in the object that has received the illumination pattern signal in accordance with the illumination pattern signal; and one or more processing units that determine whether or not to start supplying power from the coil in accordance with the change in brightness over time detected by the light-receiving units." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0167] 1. Contactless power supply equipment 2A,2B,2C Non-contact power supply device 3. Ground coil device (coil) 3K Cable 3S power transmission unit 4. Correspondence device 5 Power supply 6. Light sensor (light receiving part) 61 Field of view 62 pixels 7. Contactless power supply device controller 71 Processing Unit (Processing Unit) 711 Power supply request signal receiving unit 712 Lighting pattern signal provider 713 Light receiving pattern signal acquisition unit 714 Correlation Evaluation Department 714a Light receiving pattern element value setting unit 714b Lighting pattern element value setting section 714c Correlation Element Value Calculation Unit 714d Correlation evaluation value calculation unit 714q Correlation evaluation value determination unit 714f, 714g, 714h, 714i, 714j, 714k, 714p multiply-accumulate unit 714t Sum-accumulate unit 714S delay unit 715 Inverter Control Unit 72 Wireless communication device (transmitter) 75 Computers 8. Inverter device 9. Electric vehicles (objects, vehicles) 91 Vehicle-mounted coil device 92 Power Receiving Circuit 93 batteries 94. Interior lighting (lighting device) 95 Alignment Status Checker 96 Vehicle controller 961 Wireless communication device 101 Road 102 Road surface 103 Parking lane 104 Parking D1 Power supply request signal D2 lighting pattern signal D4 light-receiving pattern signal D6 Correlation Element Values D7 Correlation evaluation value TD delay time

Claims

1. A power transmission unit including one or more coils that supply power to an object in a non-contact manner, The system includes a matching device that determines whether or not to start supplying the power from the coil, The aforementioned correspondence device is One or more transmitting units send a lighting pattern signal to the object requesting the supply of power, causing the light-emitting device of the object to emit light in a predetermined lighting pattern. One or more light receiving units that detect the time change in brightness that occurs in the object that receives the aforementioned lighting pattern signal in accordance with the aforementioned lighting pattern signal, The system includes one or more processing units that determine whether or not to start supplying power from the coil in accordance with the time change of brightness detected by the light receiving unit, The processing unit acquires the illumination pattern signal and the light reception pattern signal indicating the time change in the brightness of the light received by the light receiving unit. The aforementioned lighting pattern signal includes an element value indicating a command to light up and an element value indicating a command to turn off the lights. The light-receiving pattern signal includes an element value indicating the state of light emission and an element value indicating the state of light being off. The processing unit acquires multiple correlation element values, which are the product of the element values ​​of the illumination pattern signal at a predetermined time and the element values ​​of the light reception pattern signal at the predetermined time. A correlation evaluation value, which is the sum of multiple correlation element values, is obtained. A contactless power supply device that uses the correlation evaluation value to determine whether the light receiving pattern signal and the illumination pattern signal satisfy a predetermined relationship, and starts supplying power from the coil when it is determined that the predetermined relationship is satisfied.

2. The power transmission unit includes a plurality of the coils, The contactless power supply equipment according to claim 1, wherein when the processing unit receives a signal from the object requesting power supply, it causes the transmitting unit to transmit the lighting pattern signal associated with the coil that is to start supplying power to the object requesting power supply.

3. The power transmission unit includes a plurality of the coils, The aforementioned object is a vehicle, The contactless power supply equipment according to claim 1, wherein the spacing between the multiple coils is longer than the total length of the vehicle.

4. The power transmission unit includes a plurality of the coils, The aforementioned object is a vehicle, The contactless power supply equipment according to claim 1, wherein the spacing between the multiple coils is shorter than the overall length of the vehicle and longer than the overall width of the vehicle.

5. The power transmission unit includes a plurality of the coils, The contactless power supply equipment according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of coils are installed at predetermined intervals along the edge of the road.

6. A non-contact power supply method that supplies power from a coil to an object without contact, The steps include sending a lighting pattern signal to the object requesting the supply of power, causing the light-emitting device provided by the object to emit light in a predetermined lighting pattern, The step of detecting a time change in brightness that occurs in the object that receives the lighting pattern signal, The step of detecting a time change in brightness that occurs in accordance with the lighting pattern signal includes a step of deciding whether or not to start supplying power from the coil in accordance with the time change in brightness detected. The step of deciding whether or not to start supplying the power from the coil is: A step of acquiring the aforementioned lighting pattern signal and a light reception pattern signal indicating the time change in the brightness of the light detected in the detection step, A step of obtaining multiple correlation element values ​​which are the product of the element values ​​of the lighting pattern signal at a predetermined time and the element values ​​of the light receiving pattern signal at a predetermined time, The steps include obtaining a correlation evaluation value which is the sum of multiple correlation element values, The step of determining whether the light receiving pattern signal and the illumination pattern signal satisfy a predetermined relationship using the correlation evaluation value, and starting the supply of power from the coil when it is determined that the predetermined relationship is satisfied, The aforementioned lighting pattern signal includes an element value indicating a command to light up and an element value indicating a command to turn off the lights. A non-contact power supply method wherein the light-receiving pattern signal includes an element value indicating a state of light emission and an element value indicating a state of light being off.

7. A matching device for determining whether or not to start supplying power from one or more coils that supply power to an object without contact, One or more transmitting units send a lighting pattern signal to the object requesting the supply of power, causing the light-emitting device of the object to emit light in a predetermined lighting pattern. One or more light receiving units that detect the time change in brightness that occurs in the object that receives the aforementioned lighting pattern signal in accordance with the aforementioned lighting pattern signal, The system comprises one or more processing units that determine whether or not to start supplying power from the coil in accordance with the time change of brightness detected by the light receiving unit, The processing unit acquires the illumination pattern signal and the light reception pattern signal indicating the time change in the brightness of the light received by the light receiving unit. The aforementioned lighting pattern signal includes an element value indicating a command to light up and an element value indicating a command to turn off the lights. The light-receiving pattern signal includes an element value indicating the state of light emission and an element value indicating the state of light being off. The processing unit acquires multiple correlation element values, which are the product of the element values ​​of the illumination pattern signal at a predetermined time and the element values ​​of the light reception pattern signal at the predetermined time. A correlation evaluation value, which is the sum of multiple correlation element values, is obtained. A matching device that uses the correlation evaluation value to determine whether the light receiving pattern signal and the illumination pattern signal satisfy a predetermined relationship, and starts supplying power from the coil when it is determined that the predetermined relationship is satisfied.

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