Control systems, vehicles, traffic signals and methods

Abstract

The present invention provides a function for selecting a vehicle to be fed with power from among vehicles for which charging during traveling is desired. A control system (10) comprises: an identification unit (11) that identifies a vehicle (21, 22) which enters a charging section (CS) where contactless-type charging devices (50) are installed; a prediction unit (12) that calculates a predicted value of the charge amount expected when contactless-type charging of the vehicle is carried out by the charging devices; and a determination unit (13) that determines, on the basis of the predicted value, whether or not to set the vehicle as an object to be charged by the contactless-type charging devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system and a vehicle , intersection traffic signal and method and is related thereto.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a non-contact power supply system in which a power supply section with a ground power supply device buried underground is provided so that a vehicle in motion can receive necessary power. The travel mode proposal device described in the same document has a function of proposing a second travel route that travels through a power supply section and has an expected power supply amount equal to or greater than a reference power amount in addition to a normal travel route that does not consider power supply to the destination.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of charging during travel, due to reasons such as the distance between the power supply device and the power receiving device on the vehicle side constantly changing, it is said that more power is required compared to charging in a stopped state. Therefore, from the perspective of available power sources and the power transmission capacity of ground power supply devices, there is a possibility that the number of vehicles that can be charged in a single power supply section may be limited. For example, by guiding vehicles to a specific power supply section as in the travel mode proposal device of Patent Document 1, the number of vehicles heading to this section increases, but in that case, a situation where power cannot be supplied to all vehicles is assumed.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a control system and a vehicle that select a vehicle to be supplied with power from vehicles that desire charging during travel as described above , intersection traffic signal Machines and methods and aims to provide the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] From the first perspective, a control system is provided that includes: an identification unit that identifies a vehicle entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed; a prediction unit that calculates a predicted value of the expected charge amount when the vehicle is charged using the contactless charging device; and a decision unit that determines whether or not to charge the vehicle using the contactless charging device based on the predicted value.

[0007] From a second perspective, a vehicle is provided that includes a receiving unit that receives a charging instruction from a control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by the contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed, and a charging control unit that communicates with the contactless charging device based on the charging instruction and starts contactless charging.

[0008] From a third perspective, a contactless charging device is provided, comprising: a receiving unit that receives a charging instruction from a control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by the contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed; and a charging control unit that communicates with the vehicle based on the charging instruction and starts contactless charging.

[0009] From a fourth perspective, a traffic signal is provided that changes its display pattern based on instructions from a control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by a contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed.

[0010] From a fifth perspective, a charging control method is provided that identifies a vehicle entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed, calculates a predicted value of the expected charge amount when the vehicle is charged using the contactless charging device, and determines whether or not to charge the vehicle using the contactless charging device based on the predicted value.

[0011] From a sixth perspective, a method for charging a vehicle is provided, which involves receiving a charging instruction from a control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by a contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed, communicating with the contactless charging device based on the charging instruction, and starting contactless charging.

[0012] From a seventh perspective, a recording medium is provided that stores programs for realizing the functions of the vehicle, charging device, and traffic signal described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to this disclosure, a control system and vehicle can select a vehicle to be charged from among vehicles that wish to be charged while driving. , intersection Signal The machine and method It will be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] A sequence diagram illustrating the operation between a vehicle and a charging device in one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Another sequence diagram illustrating the operation between a vehicle and a charging device in one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This figure shows the configuration of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a functional block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of vehicle information used by the control system of the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a functional block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of vehicle information used by the control system of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the configuration of the third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] It is a functional block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] It is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] It is a functional block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] It is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a computer constituting the information processing apparatus of the present disclosure.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] First, an overview of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the reference numerals in the drawings appended to this overview are for convenience of each element as an example to assist understanding, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the illustrated aspects. Also, the connection lines between blocks in the drawings and the like referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional ones. The one-way arrow schematically shows the flow of the main signal (data) and does not exclude bidirectionality. The program is executed via a computer device, and the computer device includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and a display device as necessary. Further, this computer device is configured to be communicable with devices inside or outside the device (including computers) via a communication interface, whether wired or wireless. Also, ports or interfaces are provided at the input / output connection points of each block in the figure, but the illustration is omitted.

[0016] In one embodiment, this disclosure can be realized with a configuration including a control system 10, vehicles 21 and 22, and a charging device 50, as shown in Figure 1. The control system 10 includes a specific unit 11, a prediction unit 12, and a determination unit 13. In the following description, vehicles 21 and 22 are described as electric vehicles that can receive charging from the charging device 50 while driving. Of course, vehicles 21 and 22 are not limited to electric vehicles equipped only with a motor as a drive source, but may also be hybrid cars equipped with an internal combustion engine, etc.

[0017] The identification unit 11 identifies a vehicle 21 that is entering a charging section CS where a contactless charging device 50 is installed. The prediction unit 12 calculates a predicted value of the expected charge amount when the vehicle 21 is charged using the contactless charging device 50. Based on the predicted value, the decision unit 13 decides whether or not to charge the vehicle using the contactless charging device 50.

[0018] The control system 10 configured as described above operates as follows. First, the control system 10 identifies a vehicle 21 entering the charging section CS using images captured by the camera C (step S01 in Figure 2). Alternatively, instead of the camera C, various sensors that detect vehicle entry may be used to identify a vehicle 21 entering the charging section CS. Furthermore, as in the first embodiment described later, a vehicle 21 entering the charging section CS may be identified by acquiring position information from the vehicle.

[0019] Next, the control system 10 calculates a predicted value for the amount of charge expected when the vehicle 21 is charged using the contactless charging device (step S02 in Figure 2). Then, based on the predicted value, the control system 10 decides whether or not to charge the vehicle 21 using the contactless charging device 50 (step S03 in Figure 2). The decision of whether or not to charge the vehicle 21 (charging instruction) is notified directly or indirectly to at least one of the vehicle 21 or the charging device 50. This decision (charging instruction) may include a password or electronic certificate information for the vehicle 21 and the charging device 50 to authenticate each other in order to prevent use by a third party.

[0020] Figure 3 is a sequence diagram showing the operation between the vehicle and the charging device that begins when the vehicle 21 is notified of a decision (charging instruction) as to whether or not to charge the vehicle. When the vehicle 21 receives a charging instruction from the control system 10 (step S11), it communicates with the contactless charging device 50 based on the charging instruction and starts contactless charging (step S12).

[0021] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing the operation between the vehicle and the charging device that begins when the charging device 50 is notified of a decision (charging instruction) as to whether or not to charge the vehicle. When the charging device 50 receives a charging instruction from the control system 10 (step S21), it communicates with the contactless vehicle 21 based on the charging instruction and starts contactless charging (step S22).

[0022] As described above, according to this embodiment, when non-contact charging is performed by the charging device, it is possible to determine whether or not to charge a vehicle 21 entering the charging section CS based on the predicted value of the expected charge amount. For example, if the predicted value of the expected charge amount is very low, the vehicle 21 can be excluded from charging by the non-contact charging device 50. In this way, it is possible to allocate limited charging resources to other vehicles.

[0023] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment in which multiple vehicles located in one or more charging sections CS are selected to be charged collectively will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, for convenience, the charging time, which is the time the vehicle traveled in the charging section, is used as the predicted value of the amount of charge to select the vehicle to be charged. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 5, a configuration is shown in which the EV charging control system 100 and vehicles 200a to 200c are connected via a base station 310 and a mobile communication network 320. A display device 104a that displays a management screen is connected to the EV charging control system 100. The hatched area in Figure 5 indicates a charging section (charging lane) 400. Charging devices are arranged in this charging section along the direction of travel on the road. Among the vehicles that have entered the charging section 400, the selected vehicles 200a and 200b are capable of charging while driving. In the following, unless otherwise specified, vehicles 200a to 200c will be referred to as "vehicle 200," and the EV charging control system 100 will be referred to as "control system 100." Furthermore, in the following explanation, vehicle 200 will be described as an electric vehicle that can receive charging from the power supply device 500 while driving.

[0024] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The control system 100 includes a communication unit 101, a prediction unit 102, a selection unit 103, a screen display unit 104, and a storage unit 105.

[0025] The communication unit 101 receives information necessary for predicting charging time (such as route, speed, and SoC information) from the vehicle 200 via the base station 310 and the mobile communication network 320. The route may be, for example, time-series data of location information acquired by the GPS (Global Positioning System) or RTK (Real Time Kinematic) positioning function installed in the vehicle 200. The communication unit 101 stores the information received from the vehicle 200 as vehicle information in the storage unit 105. In this embodiment, the communication unit 101 identifies the vehicle 200 entering the charging section CS, and therefore corresponds to the identification unit 11 described above.

[0026] The prediction unit 102 uses the vehicle information and charging section information stored in the storage unit 105 to predict the charging time for each vehicle. This charging time can be simply calculated by dividing the length of the charging section by the speed of each vehicle. Of course, instead of the charging time, the amount of charge that can be directly charged can also be calculated. In this case, the amount of charge can be calculated by multiplying the charging power per unit time for the vehicle and charging device combination by the charging time. Furthermore, if the orientation information of vehicle 200 can be obtained from the vehicle information, the prediction unit 102 may predict that vehicle 200 will enter or exit the charging section by changing lanes and predict the charging time accordingly.

[0027] The screen display unit 104 displays the results of the vehicle selection to be charged by the selection unit 103, information stored in the memory unit, etc., on the display device 104a.

[0028] The memory unit 105 stores vehicle information 1051 and charging section information 1052. Figure 7 shows an example of vehicle information 1051. In the example in Figure 7, vehicle information that can manage license plate information (vehicle ID), speed information, route information, and SoC information is shown for each vehicle. Of this information, the vehicle ID may be obtained by the communication unit 101 from the vehicle 200, or it may be set in advance during initial setup.

[0029] Charging section information is information that shows the extent of the charging section on a map. By plotting the route of vehicle 200 on this charging section information, the distance that vehicle 200 travels within the charging section can be determined. If vehicle 200 enters and exits the charging section without changing lanes, the time required to travel the entire length of the charging section becomes the charging time. As mentioned above, if vehicle 200 enters and exits the charging section by changing lanes, the charging time will be shorter than when it travels the entire length of the charging section. This charging section information may also include the capacity of the power supply device 500 installed in each charging section.

[0030] The selection unit 103 selects vehicles to be charged based on the predicted charging time for each vehicle. The selection unit 103 can use one or more of the following rules in combination to select vehicles to be charged. The number of vehicles selected by the selection unit 103 to be charged can be a predetermined number according to the capacity of the power supply device 500, or a number corresponding to the traffic volume within the capacity range of the power supply device 500. (0) Exclude vehicles that do not pass through charging sections. Whether or not a vehicle passes through a charging section can be determined by route information obtained from vehicle 200. For example, by excluding vehicle 200c, which is located outside the charging section in Figure 5, the vehicles to be charged can be narrowed down to vehicles 200a and 200b. (1) Vehicles whose charging time falls below a predetermined threshold will not be eligible for charging. This is because if the charging time is very short, the amount of charge will also be small. (2) Among vehicles whose charging time exceeds a predetermined threshold, priority will be given to vehicles with shorter charging times. Prioritizing vehicles with shorter charging times allows those vehicles to have the opportunity to charge. (3) Priority will be given to vehicles with a low SoC or low driving range. Based on the SoC value of each vehicle, vehicles with lower SoC values ​​are selected for charging. This allows for priority charging of vehicles that are more likely to run out of power. Alternatively, the remaining driving range can be calculated based on the SoC and vehicle-related data. In this case, vehicles with shorter remaining driving ranges can be prioritized for charging. Vehicle-related data includes energy efficiency and load capacity, which are all related to the remaining driving range. (4) Adjust the charging amount so that it is uniform for vehicles located in the same charging section. The idea is to avoid having only specific vehicles eligible for charging, and instead ensure that as many vehicles as possible receive charging equally.

[0031] Furthermore, the communication unit 101 notifies the vehicle 200 selected by the selection unit 103 whether or not charging is possible.

[0032] Vehicle 200 is equipped with a communication unit 201, a storage battery 202, and a power receiving unit 203. When the vehicle enters a charging section, the communication unit 201 notifies the control system 100 that it has entered a charging section. Also, when the communication unit 201 receives notification from the control system 100 that charging is possible, it transmits that information to the power receiving unit 203.

[0033] When the power receiving unit 203 receives notification that charging is possible, it receives power from the power supply device 500 installed on the road surface and charges the storage battery 202.

[0034] The power supply device 500 is installed on the road surface and charges vehicles while they are in motion.

[0035] Base station 310 is a base station of the mobile communication network 320. The mobile communication network 320 is, for example, a 5th generation mobile communication system (5G) or an LTE (Long Term Evolution) mobile communication network. Instead of base station 310 and the mobile communication network 320, equipment for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication may be used.

[0036] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the first embodiment. Referring to Figure 8, first, when the vehicle 200 detects that it has entered or is about to enter a charging section (step S001), it transmits information such as the route, speed, and SoC information to the control system 100 (step S002). As mentioned above, this information includes the vehicle's route, speed, and SoC information.

[0037] The control system 100 acquires vehicle information from each vehicle 200 as described above and registers it in the storage unit 105 (step S003).

[0038] Next, the control system 100 aggregates vehicle information for each charging section (step S004) and determines which vehicle to be charged (step S005). At this time, the control system 100 selects which vehicle to be charged based on the charging time and the contents of the SoC for each vehicle.

[0039] Next, the control system 100 notifies each vehicle 200 whether or not charging is possible (step S006).

[0040] Of the vehicles 200 that have received the aforementioned notification, the vehicles 200 that have received notification that they are ready to charge will activate the power receiving unit 203 and begin charging (step S007).

[0041] The control system 100 and the vehicle 200 execute the processes described in steps S001 to S007 at predetermined time intervals. The predetermined time intervals are set appropriately according to the length of the charging section, the expected average speed of the vehicle, and other factors.

[0042] As explained above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to select an appropriate vehicle from among the vehicles located in the charging zone and instruct it to charge. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, even vehicles that were not selected for charging can still have the opportunity to charge by slowing down. Conversely, vehicles traveling at higher speeds are preferentially selected for charging, but the faster the speed, the shorter the charging time and the less charge is obtained. As a result, it is possible to give many vehicles located in the charging zone the opportunity to receive a charge.

[0043] [Second Embodiment] Next, we will describe a second embodiment in which charging capacity, vehicle type, and subscribed service information are added to the vehicle information to enable more detailed selection of charging targets. Figure 9 is a functional block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the second embodiment. The differences from the first embodiment shown in Figure 6 are that the vehicle information 1051a in the storage unit 105 is more extensive, and the operation of the prediction unit 102a and the selection unit 103a has been modified. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, so the following will focus on explaining the differences.

[0044] Figure 10 shows an example of vehicle information acquired from a vehicle 200 by the control system 100a of the second embodiment of this disclosure. The difference from the vehicle information of the first embodiment shown in Figure 7 is that the charging capacity, vehicle type, and details of subscribed services for each vehicle have been added. The charging capacity is set as the charging capacity per unit time for each vehicle. The vehicle type is set as information representing the body type, such as EV minivan or EV sedan. In addition, information on whether or not the EV is a plug-in EV may be added as such vehicle type. Alternatively, the manufacturer's set vehicle name and grade may be set instead of vehicle type. The subscribed services are set as information on whether or not the vehicle is subscribed to a priority service for in-driving charging services. In other words, the control system 100a of this embodiment is equipped with a second acquisition means for acquiring information on the charging function of the vehicle 200 from the vehicle 200.

[0045] The prediction unit 102a uses the charging capacity described above, in addition to the charging time, to predict the amount of power each vehicle can charge in the charging section. For example, even among vehicles traveling in the same charging section, a vehicle with a higher charging capacity will be able to charge more power. Also, even if a vehicle has a high charging capacity, if the distance traveled in the charging section is short, a vehicle with a lower charging capacity but a longer distance traveled in the charging section may be able to charge more power.

[0046] The selection unit 103a selects the vehicle to be charged based on the predicted charging power of each vehicle. In doing so, the selection unit 103 refers to the vehicle type information and subscribed services of each vehicle to select the vehicle to be charged. For example, if a rule is set that EV minivans and EV cargo vans should be prioritized over EV sedans, the selection unit 103 will prioritize selecting "XX X 501 AA-01" as the vehicle to be charged over vehicle ID "XX X 301 BB-02". Similarly, the selection unit 103 will prioritize selecting a vehicle that is subscribed to a priority service for charging while driving over a vehicle that is not subscribed to any services. It may also prioritize non-plug-in EVs over plug-in EVs that have more charging opportunities. In addition, when selecting the vehicle to be charged, a score may be calculated according to the contents of each of the above items, and the vehicle to be charged may be selected by comparing the scores aggregated for each vehicle.

[0047] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to select vehicles to be charged in detail based on each vehicle's charging capacity, vehicle type, and subscribed services.

[0048] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described in which the charging target is selected using information from traffic signals located ahead of the charging section. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the third embodiment of this disclosure. The difference from the first embodiment shown in Figure 5 is that the control system 100b is able to acquire the light pattern information of the traffic signal S.

[0049] Figure 12 is a functional block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the third embodiment of this disclosure. The first difference from the detailed configuration of the first embodiment shown in Figure 6 is that a signal control information acquisition unit 106 has been added to the control system 100b. The second difference from the detailed configuration of the first embodiment is that the prediction unit 102b predicts the charging time of each vehicle using the light pattern information of the traffic signal S in addition to vehicle information and charging section information. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, so the differences will be explained below.

[0050] The signal control information acquisition unit 106 acquires signal control information from the signal control device 600 that controls the traffic signal S, as information on the light pattern of the traffic signal S. This signal control information indicates the light pattern that the signal control device 600 has instructed the traffic signal S to do, and by referring to this signal control information, it is possible to predict the stopping time of vehicles 200 located in the charging zone.

[0051] The prediction unit 102b predicts the charging time for each vehicle using vehicle information, charging section information, and signal control information of the traffic signal S. For example, if the indication of the traffic signal in Figure 11 remains green for a while, the prediction unit 102b calculates the time required for each vehicle 200 to pass through the charging section as the charging time, similar to the first embodiment. On the other hand, if the indication of the traffic signal in Figure 11 changes and it is expected that each vehicle 200 will stop, the prediction unit 102b adds the stopping time to the charging time.

[0052] Figure 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of a third embodiment of the present disclosure. The difference from Figure 8, which illustrates the operation of the first embodiment, is that after acquiring vehicle information, the control system 100b acquires signal control information from the signal control device 600 (step S108).

[0053] Then, after aggregating vehicle information (step S004), the control system 100b predicts the charging time for each vehicle using the light pattern information of the traffic signal S described above, and then determines which vehicle to charge (step S005a). Other operations are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation is omitted.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, even when there is a traffic signal S ahead of the charging section and there is variation in the time it takes for the vehicle 200 to pass through the charging section, it becomes possible to accurately predict the charging time and appropriately select the vehicle to be charged. In the embodiment described above, an example was given in which there is a traffic signal S ahead of the charging section, but similarly, even when there is a level crossing or the like instead of a traffic signal S, the charging time can be predicted using a train timetable or the like.

[0055] Furthermore, it is possible that the sections before and after the charging section are prone to traffic congestion. In this case as well, using the same approach as the signal control information described above, the control system 100b may acquire information on the traffic congestion situation and predict the charging time based on this information. This traffic congestion situation may be acquired as vehicle information, or the control system 100b may estimate the traffic congestion situation from images of cameras installed near the charging section.

[0056] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described in which a traffic signal control function is added to the control system 100c. Figure 14 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of the fourth embodiment of this disclosure. The differences from the first embodiment shown in Figure 5 are that a signal control unit 107 is added to the control system 100c and the operation of the selection unit 103c. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, so the following will focus on explaining those differences.

[0057] The signal control unit 107 has the function of changing the lighting pattern of the traffic signal S by transmitting signal control information to the signal control device 600 that controls the traffic signal S.

[0058] The selection unit 103c selects the vehicle to be charged based on the predicted charging time for each vehicle. Furthermore, the selection unit 103c instructs the signal control unit 107 to change the state of the traffic signal S so that the vehicle 200 remains in the charging section, in order to increase the amount of charge of the vehicle 200 to be charged as needed. For example, if the expected SoC of the vehicle 200 after passing through the charging section is below a predetermined threshold, the selection unit 103c instructs the signal control unit 107 to change the light of the traffic signal S to red to avoid running out of power, thereby keeping the vehicle 200 in the charging section.

[0059] Therefore, the traffic signal S has the function of changing its display pattern based on instructions from the control system.

[0060] Figure 15 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the fourth embodiment of this disclosure. The difference from Figure 8, which illustrates the operation of the first embodiment, is that after notifying each vehicle 200 of whether or not charging is possible (step S006), the control system 100c transmits signal control information to the signal control device 600 (step S109). Other operations are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation is omitted.

[0061] As described above, according to this embodiment, in addition to selecting the vehicle 200 to be charged, the amount of charge required for the vehicle 200 can be increased. In the example described above, the traffic signal S is instructed to change its light to red, and the vehicle 200 is kept in the charging zone, but the manner in which the control system 100c controls the traffic signal S is not limited to this. For example, the control system 100c may shorten the time that the traffic signal S's light remains red, causing the vehicle 200 to move out of the charging zone earlier.

[0062] While the embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical concept of this disclosure. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representations shown in the drawings are examples to aid in understanding this disclosure and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0063] (Regarding hardware configuration) In each embodiment of this disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of each component of each device is realized by any combination of an information processing device 900 and a program, for example, as shown in Figure 16. Figure 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configuration. ·CPU(Central Processing Unit)901 • ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 ·RAM(Random Access Memory)903 Program 904 is loaded into RAM903. • Storage device 905 for storing program 904 • Drive device 907 for reading and writing recording medium 906 • Communication interface 908 connected to communication network 909 • Input / output interface 910 for data input and output. • Bus 911 connecting each component

[0064] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized when the CPU 901 acquires and executes a program 904 that realizes these functions. That is, the CPU 901 in Figure 16 executes a vehicle information aggregation program and a charging target selection program, and performs update processing of each calculation parameter held in RAM 903, storage device 905, etc. The program 904 that realizes the functions of each component of each device is, for example, stored in advance in storage device 905 or ROM 902, and read by the CPU 901 as needed. The program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via a communication network 909, or it may be stored in advance in a recording medium 906, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0065] There are various variations in how each device is implemented. For example, each device may be implemented by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Alternatively, multiple components of each device may be implemented by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. In other words, each part (processing means, function) of the information processing device shown in the first to fourth embodiments described above can be implemented by a computer program that causes a processor mounted on the device to execute the above-described processing using its hardware.

[0066] Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device are realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or combinations thereof. These may be made up of a single chip or multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0067] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the circuits and programs described above.

[0068] When some or all of the components of each device are implemented by multiple information processing devices or circuits, these multiple information processing devices or circuits may be centrally located or distributed. For example, the information processing devices or circuits may be implemented in a form in which each is connected via a communication network, such as a client-and-server system or a cloud computing system.

[0069] The embodiments described above are preferred embodiments of this disclosure and do not limit the scope of this disclosure to these embodiments alone. That is, a person skilled in the art can modify or substitute the embodiments described above to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0070] For example, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, it was explained that all vehicles 200 are electric vehicles (EVs), but some of the vehicles 200 may be gasoline-powered or diesel-powered vehicles. In this case, the control systems 100 to 100c can distinguish between electric vehicles (EVs), vehicles driven by internal combustion engines, and hybrid vehicles by obtaining vehicle information from each vehicle 200, specifically whether or not it is an electric vehicle (EV).

[0071] Furthermore, the third and fourth embodiments described above can be combined and implemented. In this case, the control system will have both a function to predict the charging time from the lighting state of the traffic signal S and a function to increase or decrease the charging period by controlling the traffic signal S.

[0072] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to these.

[0073] [Note 1] A unit that identifies vehicles entering a charging section equipped with a contactless charging device, A prediction unit calculates an estimated value of the expected charge amount when the vehicle is charged using the charging device in a non-contact manner, A determination unit that determines whether or not to charge the vehicle using the contactless charging device based on the predicted values, A control system equipped with the following features. [Note 2] The prediction unit of the control system described above predicts the charging time as the predicted value of the charge amount, The determination unit can be configured to determine whether or not to charge the vehicle using the contactless charging device, based on the predicted charging time. [Note 3] The prediction unit of the control system described above can be configured to predict the amount of charge based on the time taken to pass through the charging section calculated from the speed of the vehicle. [Note 4] The prediction unit of the control system described above can further be configured to predict the amount of charge based on the congestion status in the section including the charging section. [Note 5] The control system described above further includes an acquisition means for acquiring information on the light pattern of a traffic signal located ahead of the charging section. The prediction unit can be configured to predict the time it takes for the vehicle to pass through the charging section based on the traffic signal light pattern information. [Note 6] The control system described above further includes a second acquisition means for acquiring information from the vehicle regarding the vehicle's charging function. The prediction unit can be configured to predict the expected amount of charge based on information regarding the vehicle's charging function. [Note 7] The decision unit of the control system described above can be configured to prioritize vehicles with smaller predicted values ​​when determining which vehicles to charge. [Note 8] The determination unit of the control system described above can be configured to exclude vehicles whose predicted value is less than a predetermined threshold from being charged. [Note 9] The decision unit of the control system described above can be configured to select multiple vehicles to be charged so that the amount of charge for each vehicle passing through the charging section is equal. [Note 10] The decision unit of the control system described above can be configured to initiate charging of the vehicle to be charged by transmitting a charging instruction to at least one of the non-contact charging device and the vehicle. [Note 11] A receiving unit receives a charging instruction from a control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by a contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed. A vehicle comprising: a charging control unit that communicates with the contactless charging device based on the charging instruction and starts contactless charging. [Note 12] A receiving unit receives a charging instruction from a control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by a contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed. A contactless charging device comprising: a charging control unit that communicates with the vehicle based on the charging instruction and starts contactless charging. [Note 13] A traffic signal that changes its display pattern based on instructions from a control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by a contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed. [Note 14] Identify vehicles entering a charging section equipped with contactless charging devices. When the vehicle is charged using the contactless charging device, the predicted amount of charge is calculated. Based on the aforementioned predicted values, it is determined whether or not to include the vehicle in the non-contact charging device. Charging control method. [Note 15] A control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by a contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section equipped with a contactless charging device receives a charging instruction. A method for charging a vehicle, comprising communicating with a contactless charging device based on the aforementioned charging instruction and starting contactless charging. [Note 16] A control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by a contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section equipped with a contactless charging device receives a charging instruction. A method for charging a vehicle, comprising communicating with the vehicle based on the aforementioned charging instruction and initiating contactless charging. [Note 17] A process to identify vehicles entering a charging section equipped with contactless charging devices, A process for calculating the predicted amount of charge expected when the vehicle is charged using the charging device in a non-contact manner, A recording medium that records a program that causes a computer to perform a process to determine whether or not to charge the vehicle using the contactless charging device based on the predicted values. Charging control method. [Note 18] A control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by a contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed, receives a charging instruction from the control system. A recording medium containing a program that causes a computer to execute a process of communicating with the contactless charging device and starting contactless charging based on the aforementioned charging instruction. [Note 19] A control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by a contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed, receives a charging instruction from the control system. A recording medium containing a program that causes a computer to execute a process of communicating with the vehicle and starting contactless charging based on the aforementioned charging instruction. Furthermore, the forms described in each of the above appendices can be combined with each other after making the necessary modifications. For example, a configuration that combines the contents described in appendice 2 and the contents described in appendice 3 is also included within the scope of disclosure of this specification. Furthermore, the forms described in appendices 11 to 19 above can be expanded into the forms described in appendices 2 to 9, similar to appendice 1.

[0074] Furthermore, each disclosure in the above-mentioned patent documents is incorporated into this document by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure as necessary. Within the framework of this disclosure (including the claims), further modifications and adjustments to the embodiments or examples are possible based on their fundamental technical ideas. Also, within the framework of this disclosure, various combinations or selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosure elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes the entire disclosure, including the claims, and various modifications and alterations that a person skilled in the art could make in accordance with the technical idea. In particular, with respect to the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or sub-range included within that range should be interpreted as being specifically described, even if not otherwise stated. Furthermore, each disclosure item of the above-mentioned cited documents may, as necessary, be used in part or in whole as part of this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, and this is also considered to be included in the disclosure items of this application. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 10 Control Systems 11 Specific section 12 Prediction Section 13. Decision-making section Vehicles 21 and 22 50 Charging device 100V, 100A~100C EV charging control system Vehicles 200, 200a~200c 310 base station 320 Mobile communications network 101 Communications Department 102, 102a Prediction section 103, 103a Selection section 104 Screen display section 104a Display device 105 Storage section Vehicle information for 1051 and 1051a 1052 Charging section information 201 Communications Department 202 Battery 203 Power Receiving Section 500 Power supply device 600 Signal control device 900 Information Processing Equipment 901 CPU(Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Recording media 907 Drive unit 908 Communication Interface 909 Communication Network 910 Input / Output Interface 911 Bus CS charging section S traffic light

Claims

1. A unit that identifies vehicles entering a charging section equipped with a contactless charging device, A prediction unit calculates an estimated value of the expected charge amount when the vehicle is charged using the charging device in a non-contact manner, A determination unit that determines whether or not to charge the vehicle using the contactless charging device based on the predicted values, A control system comprising, The prediction unit predicts the charging time as the predicted value of the charge amount. The determination unit is a control system that determines whether or not to charge the vehicle using the contactless charging device, based on the predicted value of the charging time.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the prediction unit predicts the amount of charge based on the time taken to pass through the charging section calculated from the speed of the vehicle.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the prediction unit further predicts the amount of charge based on the congestion status in the section including the charging section.

4. Furthermore, the system includes means for acquiring information on the light patterns of traffic signals located ahead of the charging section. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the prediction unit predicts the time it takes for the vehicle to pass through the charging section based on the light pattern information of the traffic signal.

5. Furthermore, the system includes a second acquisition means for acquiring information regarding the vehicle's charging function from the vehicle, The control system according to claim 1, wherein the prediction unit predicts the expected amount of charge based on information regarding the vehicle's charging function.

6. A receiving unit that receives a charging instruction from any one of the control systems of Claims 1 to 5, A vehicle comprising: a charging control unit that communicates with the contactless charging device based on the charging instruction and starts contactless charging.

7. A traffic signal that changes its display pattern based on instructions from a control system that selects a vehicle to be charged by a contactless charging device from among vehicles entering a charging section where a contactless charging device is installed.

8. Identify vehicles entering a charging section equipped with contactless charging devices. When the vehicle is charged using the contactless charging device, the predicted amount of charge is calculated. Based on the aforementioned predicted values, it is determined whether or not to include the vehicle in the non-contact charging device. A charging control method, As the predicted value of the charge amount, the charging time is predicted, Based on the predicted charging time, it is determined whether or not to charge the vehicle using the contactless charging device. Charging control method.

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