Vehicle and control device

Abstract

A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a communication device capable of communicating with a portable terminal; and a power supply device capable of performing a power conversion operation on the basis of instruction data transmitted from the portable terminal, and capable of supplying power generated by the power conversion operation to an external apparatus via a power supply terminal.

Description

Vehicle and control device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle capable of supplying power to an external device, and a control device used in such a vehicle.

[0002] Some vehicles, such as automobiles, are capable of supplying power to external devices. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle power supply system that supplies power to external devices when a smart key is within a predetermined range relative to the vehicle.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-149793

[0004] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication device and a power supply device. The communication device is capable of communicating with a mobile terminal. The power supply device is capable of performing a power conversion operation based on instruction data transmitted from the mobile terminal and is capable of supplying power generated by the power conversion operation to an external device via a power supply terminal.

[0005] A control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control circuit that controls a power conversion operation of a power supply circuit provided in a vehicle based on instruction data transmitted from a mobile terminal, thereby controlling whether or not power generated by the power conversion operation is supplied to an external device via a power supply terminal.

[0006] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one embodiment and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3A is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of a first operation mode in the vehicle shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3B is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of a second operation mode in the vehicle shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a vehicle according to a modified example. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of a vehicle according to another modified example. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of a vehicle according to another modified example.

[0008] In vehicles capable of supplying power to external devices, it is desirable to improve user convenience, and further improvements in convenience are expected.

[0009] It is desirable to provide a vehicle and a control device that can improve user convenience.

[0010] Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description illustrates one specific example of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. For example, each element, including numerical values, shapes, materials, parts, the position of each part, and the connection method of each part, is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the following exemplary embodiments, components not described in independent claims based on the highest concept of the present disclosure are optional and may be provided as needed. The drawings are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. Throughout this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function and configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. Furthermore, components not directly related to one embodiment of the present disclosure are not shown in the drawings.

[0011] <Embodiment> [Configuration Example] Fig. 1 shows an example configuration of a vehicle (vehicle 1) according to one embodiment. Vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle. Vehicle 1 is configured to be able to supply AC power to external device 91. External device 91 is, for example, a mobile phone charger, a laptop personal computer, lighting equipment, an electric kettle, or other device that can operate on AC power. Vehicle 1 includes a high-voltage battery 11, relays 12A and 12B, a fuse 13, a low-voltage battery 14, an inverter 20, an AC outlet 15, a power supply switch 16, a communication gateway device 31, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 32, a user interface 33, a key device 34, and a wireless communication device 35.

[0012] The high-voltage battery 11 is configured to store power used when the vehicle 1, which is an electric vehicle, travels and power to be supplied to the external device 91. The voltage VBH output by the high-voltage battery 11 is, for example, 400 V. Note that the voltage VBH is not limited to this voltage and may instead be, for example, 300 V. The high-voltage battery 11 is connected to an inverter (not shown) that drives a motor and to the inverter 20 via a voltage line for the voltage VBH and a ground line. When the vehicle 1 travels, the high-voltage battery 11 supplies DC power to the inverter (not shown) that drives the motor. Furthermore, when the vehicle 1 supplies power to the external device 91, the high-voltage battery 11 supplies DC power to the inverter 20.

[0013] The relays 12A and 12B are configured to be able to turn on and off the power supply from the high-voltage battery 11 to the inverter 20. The relay 12A is provided on the voltage line of the voltage VBH, and the relay 12B is provided on the ground line. The operations of the relays 12A and 12B are controlled by, for example, the ECU 32.

[0014] The fuse 13 is configured to protect the high-voltage battery 11 and the inverter 20 from overcurrent. The fuse 13 is provided on the voltage line of the voltage VBH. Although the fuse 13 is provided in this example, the present invention is not limited to this, and a breaker may also be provided.

[0015] The low-voltage battery 14 is a so-called auxiliary battery, and is configured to store power to be supplied to various devices mounted on the vehicle 1. The voltage VBL output by the low-voltage battery 14 is, for example, 12 V. Note that the voltage VBL is not limited to this voltage and may alternatively be, for example, 5 V. The low-voltage battery 14 is connected to the inverter 20 via a voltage line for the voltage VBL and a ground line. The low-voltage battery 14 supplies DC power to a microcontroller 26 (described below) of the inverter 20.

[0016] The inverter 20 is configured to perform a power conversion operation to generate AC power based on DC power supplied from the high-voltage battery 11, and to supply the generated AC power to the external device 91. The inverter 20 includes a filter circuit 21, a DC / DC converter 22, a DC / AC inverter 23, a filter circuit 24, a DC / DC converter 25, and a microcontroller 26.

[0017] The filter circuit 21 is configured to remove noise contained in the DC voltage supplied from the high-voltage battery 11 .

[0018] The DC / DC converter 22 is configured to convert the 400 V DC voltage supplied from the filter circuit 21 into a 100 V DC voltage. The DC / DC converter 22 can start or stop operation based on an instruction from the microcontroller 26.

[0019] The DC / AC inverter 23 is configured to convert the 100 V DC voltage supplied from the DC / DC converter 22 into an AC voltage of 100 V. The DC / AC inverter 23 is capable of starting or stopping its operation based on an instruction from the microcontroller 26.

[0020] In this example, the DC / DC converter 22 converts a DC voltage of 400 V to a DC voltage of 100 V, and the DC / AC inverter 23 converts this DC voltage of 100 V to an AC voltage of 100 V, but the voltage is not limited to 100 V. This voltage can be, for example, a voltage corresponding to the voltage of the commercial power supply in the country or region where the vehicle 1 is used.

[0021] The filter circuit 24 is configured to remove noise contained in the AC voltage supplied from the DC / AC inverter 23 .

[0022] The DC / DC converter 25 is configured to convert the 400 V DC voltage supplied from the filter circuit 21 into a 12 V DC voltage. The DC / DC converter 25 supplies DC power to the microcontroller 26 and the low-voltage battery 14 via a voltage line of voltage VBL.

[0023] In this example, DC / DC converter 25 converts the 400 V DC voltage supplied from filter circuit 21 into a 12 V DC voltage, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, DC / DC converter 25 may further convert the 12 V DC voltage supplied from low-voltage battery 14 into a 400 V DC voltage when vehicle 1 supplies power to external device 91. In this case, vehicle 1 can generate AC power based on the power of both high-voltage battery 11 and low-voltage battery 14 and supply the generated AC power to external device 91.

[0024] The microcontroller 26 is configured to control the operation of the inverter 20 by supplying control signals to the DC / DC converter 22, the DC / AC inverter 23, and the DC / DC converter 25. A direct current voltage of 12 V is supplied to the microcontroller 26 as a power supply voltage from the low-voltage battery 14 and the DC / DC converter 25. The microcontroller 26 has a power conversion control unit 27 and an operation mode setting unit 28.

[0025] The power conversion control unit 27 is configured to control the operation of the DC / DC converter 22 and the DC / AC inverter 23, thereby controlling the power conversion operation of the inverter 20. The power conversion control unit 27 manages the state of the power supply switch 16. The power conversion control unit 27 controls the operation of the inverter 20 so that the inverter 20 starts or stops the power conversion operation, based on, for example, the state of the power supply switch 16 or instruction data transmitted from the smartphone 93.

[0026] The operation mode setting unit 28 is configured to set an operation mode related to a method for controlling the power conversion operation based on the state of the power supply switch 16 and instruction data transmitted from the smartphone 93 .

[0027] The AC outlet 15 is configured so that a power plug of the external device 91 can be inserted therein. The vehicle 1 supplies AC power to the external device 91 via the AC outlet 15. The AC outlet 15 is grounded to the housing of the vehicle 1. The AC outlet 15 may be provided inside or outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1.

[0028] The power supply switch 16 is configured to receive a user operation to instruct whether or not the inverter 20 should perform a power conversion operation. The power supply switch 16 is configured, for example, using a push button switch. The power conversion control unit 27 of the microcontroller 26 manages the state of the power supply switch 16 by changing the state of the power supply switch 16 between an ON state and an OFF state each time the user presses the push button.

[0029] The communication gateway device 31 is configured to control communications between various devices in the vehicle 1. The communication gateway device 41 is connected to the microcontroller 26, the ECU 32, the user interface 33, the key device 34, and the wireless communication device 35.

[0030] The ECU 32 is configured to control the overall operation of the vehicle 1 by supplying control signals to various devices of the vehicle 1 .

[0031] The user interface 33 is configured using, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, a touch panel, various buttons, and various indicators, and is configured to accept user operations and provide various information to the user. For example, the user interface 33 is configured to display whether the inverter 20 is performing a power conversion operation.

[0032] The key device 34 is configured to lock or unlock the doors of the vehicle 1 by communicating with the smart key 92. In addition, by communicating with the smart key 92, the key device 34 is also configured to detect whether the smart key 92 is present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1.

[0033] The wireless communication device 35 is configured to perform wireless communication using, for example, 5G (5th Generation) mobile phone communication. In this example, the wireless communication device 35 is configured to communicate with the smartphone 93 via a mobile phone base station and the Internet. While mobile phone communication is used in this example, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the wireless communication device 35 may communicate with the smartphone 93 using, for example, a wireless local area network (LAN) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0034] The smart key 92 is pre-authenticated by the key device 34 and is configured to lock or unlock the doors of the vehicle 1 by communicating with the key device 34 of the vehicle 1 .

[0035] The smartphone 93 is a highly functional mobile phone having telephone functions and Internet connection functions. Application software related to the vehicle 1 is installed on the smartphone 93. By executing this application software, the smartphone 93 can accept a user operation instructing whether or not to cause the inverter 20 to perform a power conversion operation. In response to this, the smartphone 93 transmits instruction data instructing whether or not to cause the inverter 20 to perform a power conversion operation to the vehicle 1. In addition, the display device of the smartphone 93 can display whether or not the inverter 20 of the vehicle 1 is performing a power conversion operation.

[0036] Here, the wireless communication device 35 corresponds to a specific example of a "communication device" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The smartphone 93 corresponds to a specific example of a "mobile terminal" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The inverter 20 corresponds to a specific example of a "power supply device" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The AC outlet 15 corresponds to a specific example of a "power supply terminal" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The key device 34 corresponds to a specific example of a "key device" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The smart key 92 corresponds to a specific example of a "vehicle key" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The power supply switch 16 corresponds to a specific example of an "operation input unit" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The DC / DC converter 22 and the DC / AC inverter 23 correspond to a specific example of a "power supply circuit" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The microcontroller 26 corresponds to a specific example of a "control circuit" in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] [Operation and Function] Next, the operation and function of the vehicle 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0038] (Overview of Overall Operation) First, the operation of the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 . The relays 12A and 12B turn on and off the power supply from the high-voltage battery 11 to the inverter 20. The fuse 13 protects the high-voltage battery 11 and the inverter 20 from overcurrent. The inverter 20 performs a power conversion operation to generate AC power based on the DC power supplied from the high-voltage battery 11, and supplies the generated AC power to an external device 91. The power supply switch 16 accepts a user operation to instruct the inverter 20 whether to perform the power conversion operation. The communication gateway device 31 controls communication between various devices in the vehicle 1. The ECU 32 controls the overall operation of the vehicle 1 by supplying control signals to various devices in the vehicle 1. The user interface 33 accepts user operations and provides various information to the user. The key device 34 locks and unlocks the doors of the vehicle 1 by communicating with a smart key 92. The key device 34 also communicates with the smart key 92 to detect whether the smart key 92 is present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1. The wireless communication device 35 communicates with the smartphone 93 via a mobile phone base station and the Internet.

[0039] 2 shows an example of the operation of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 executes this process, for example, periodically. In this example, the power plug of the external device 91 is inserted into the AC outlet 15.

[0040] First, the key device 34 communicates with the smart key 92 to detect whether the smart key 92 is present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 (step S101).

[0041] In step S101, if the smart key 92 is located inside the vehicle 1 ("Y" in step S101), the power conversion control unit 27 of the microcontroller 26 controls the inverter 20 to perform or stop power conversion operation based on the state of the power supply switch 16 (step S102). Specifically, when the power supply switch 16 is in the on state, the power conversion control unit 27 controls the inverter 20 to perform power conversion operation by operating the DC / DC converter 22 and the DC / AC inverter 23. When the inverter 20 performs power conversion operation, the vehicle 1 supplies power to the external device 91. On the other hand, when the power supply switch 16 is in the off state, the power conversion control unit 27 controls the inverter 20 to stop power conversion operation by stopping the operation of the DC / DC converter 22 and the DC / AC inverter 23. When the inverter 20 stops power conversion operation, the vehicle 1 stops supplying power to the external device 91.

[0042] In step S102, if the smart key 92 is not inside the vehicle 1 ("N" in step S101), the power conversion control unit 27 of the microcontroller 26 controls the inverter 20 to perform or stop power conversion operation based on the state of the power supply switch 16 and instruction data transmitted from the smartphone 93 (step S102). For example, the smartphone 93 transmits instruction data indicating whether to cause the inverter 20 to perform power conversion operation to the vehicle 1 based on a user operation on the smartphone 93. The power conversion control unit 27 controls the power conversion operation of the inverter 20 based on the state of the power supply switch 16 and the instruction data transmitted from the smartphone 93, depending on the operation mode set by the operation mode setting unit 28. This operation will be described in detail later.

[0043] Then, the user interface 33 displays whether the inverter 20 is performing the power conversion operation (step S104). Note that the smartphone 93 can display whether the inverter 20 is performing the power conversion operation by communicating with the vehicle 1 based on a user operation.

[0044] This completes the process.

[0045] (Regarding Operation Modes) As shown in step S103, when the smart key 92 is not inside the vehicle 1, the power conversion control unit 27 controls the power conversion operation of the inverter 20 based on the state of the power supply switch 16 and instruction data transmitted from the smartphone 93, in accordance with the operation mode set by the operation mode setting unit 28. In this example, the operation mode setting unit 28 has two operation modes (a first operation mode and a second operation mode). The user can select the operation mode by, for example, operating the user interface 33 or the smartphone 93. The operation mode setting unit 28 sets the operation mode based on this user operation.

[0046] (First Operation Mode) FIG. 3A shows the operation of step S104 when the operation mode set by the operation mode setting unit 28 is the first operation mode.

[0047] First, the power conversion control unit 27 checks the state of the power supply switch 16 (step S111). The power conversion control unit 27 manages the state of the power supply switch 16 by changing the state of the power supply switch 16 between the on state and the off state each time the user presses the push button of the power supply switch 16. Based on this management information, the power conversion control unit 27 checks whether the power supply switch 16 is in the on state.

[0048] In step S111, if the power supply switch 16 is in the on state ("Y" in step S111), the power conversion control unit 27 checks whether the wireless communication device 35 has received instruction data sent from the smartphone 93 to cause the inverter 20 to perform power conversion operation (step S112).

[0049] In step S112, when instruction data instructing inverter 20 to perform power conversion operation is received ("Y" in step S112), power conversion control unit 27 controls inverter 20 to perform power conversion operation by operating DC / DC converter 22 and DC / AC inverter 23 (step S113). When inverter 20 performs power conversion operation, vehicle 1 supplies power to external device 91.

[0050] If, in step S111, power supply switch 16 is in the off state ("N" in step S111), or if, in step S112, instruction data instructing inverter 20 not to perform power conversion operation has been received or no instruction data has been received ("N" in step S112), power conversion control unit 27 controls inverter 20 to stop the power conversion operation by stopping the operation of DC / DC converter 22 and DC / AC inverter 23 (step S114). When inverter 20 stops the power conversion operation, vehicle 1 stops supplying power to external device 91.

[0051] This completes the process.

[0052] Thus, in the first operation mode, the power conversion control unit 27 controls the inverter 20 to perform the power conversion operation when both of the following conditions are satisfied: the power supply switch 16 is in the on state; and the wireless communication device 35 has received instruction data instructing the inverter 20 to perform the power conversion operation. This reduces the possibility that power will be stolen by a malicious third party when the user of the vehicle 1 is away from the vehicle 1.

[0053] For example, a campsite is a place where it is difficult to secure a power source, and users often operate external devices 91 using power supplied from the vehicle 1. For example, if a user is located at a campsite some distance from the vehicle 1, a malicious third party may steal power by inserting the power plug of the user's external device into the AC outlet 15 of the vehicle 1. In this first operating mode, the inverter 20 can perform power conversion operation when both of the following conditions are satisfied: the power supply switch 16 is in the on state, and the wireless communication device 35 has received instruction data instructing the inverter 20 to perform power conversion operation. Therefore, for example, even if the power supply switch 16 is in the on state, the inverter 20 does not perform power conversion operation unless the user operates the smartphone 93 to instruct the inverter 20 to perform power conversion operation. As a result, the possibility of power theft in the vehicle 1 can be reduced, thereby improving user convenience.

[0054] (Second Operation Mode) FIG. 3B shows the operation of step S104 when the operation mode set by the operation mode setting unit 28 is the second operation mode.

[0055] First, the power conversion control unit 27 checks the state of the power supply switch 16 (step S121).

[0056] In step S121, if the power supply switch 16 is in the off state ("N" in step S121), the power conversion control unit 27 checks whether the wireless communication device 35 has received instruction data sent from the smartphone 93 instructing the inverter 20 to perform power conversion operation (step S122).

[0057] If the power supply switch 16 is in the on state in step S121 ("Y" in step S121), and if instruction data instructing the inverter 20 to perform a power conversion operation is received in step S122 ("Y" in step S122), the power conversion control unit 27 controls the inverter 20 to perform a power conversion operation by operating the DC / DC converter 22 and the DC / AC inverter 23 (step S123). When the inverter 20 performs a power conversion operation, the vehicle 1 supplies power to the external device 91.

[0058] In step S122, if instruction data instructing not to perform the power conversion operation is received or if no instruction data is received ("N" in step S122), power conversion control unit 27 controls inverter 20 to stop the power conversion operation by stopping the operation of DC / DC converter 22 and DC / AC inverter 23 (step S124). When inverter 20 stops the power conversion operation, vehicle 1 stops supplying power to external device 91.

[0059] This completes the process.

[0060] In this way, in the second operation mode, the power conversion control unit 27 controls the inverter 20 to perform the power conversion operation when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: the power supply switch 16 is in the on state; and the wireless communication device 35 has received instruction data to turn on the power conversion operation. This allows the vehicle 1 to supply power to the external device 91 or stop the supply of power when the user is away from the vehicle 1.

[0061] For example, at a campsite, the user may often be away from the vehicle 1. For example, when the user is at a location somewhat distant from the vehicle 1 at the campsite, the user may want to supply power to or stop the supply of power to the external device 91 connected to the AC outlet 15. In this second operating mode, the inverter 20 can perform a power conversion operation when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: the power supply switch 16 is in an on state; and the wireless communication device 35 has received instruction data indicating that the power conversion operation should be turned on. Therefore, for example, when the power supply switch 16 is in an off state, if the user operates the smartphone 93 to instruct the inverter 20 to perform a power conversion operation, the inverter 20 performs the power conversion operation. If the user operates the smartphone 93 to instruct the inverter 20 not to perform the power conversion operation, the inverter 20 stops the power conversion operation. As a result, in the vehicle 1, the user can control the power supply to the external device 91 from a location distant from the vehicle 1 and the external device 91, thereby improving user convenience.

[0062] As described above, the vehicle 1 is provided with a communication device (wireless communication device 35) capable of communicating with a mobile terminal (smartphone 93) and a power supply device (inverter 20) capable of performing a power conversion operation based on instruction data transmitted from the mobile terminal (smartphone 93) and supplying power generated by the power conversion operation to the external device 91 via the power supply terminal (AC outlet 15). This allows the vehicle 1 to supply power to the external device 91 or stop the power supply even when the user is away from the vehicle 1. For example, in the first operating mode, even if the power supply switch 16 is on, the inverter 20 does not perform a power conversion operation unless the user operates the smartphone 93 to instruct the inverter 20 to perform a power conversion operation. As a result, the vehicle 1 can reduce the possibility of power theft, thereby improving user convenience. Furthermore, for example, in the second operation mode, when the power supply switch 16 is in the off state, if the user operates the smartphone 93 to instruct the inverter 20 to perform a power conversion operation, the inverter 20 performs the power conversion operation, and if the user instructs the inverter 20 not to perform a power conversion operation, the inverter 20 stops the power conversion operation. As a result, in the vehicle 1, the user can control the power supply to the external device 91 from a location away from the vehicle 1 and the external device 91, thereby improving user convenience.

[0063] The vehicle 1 can lock or unlock the doors of the vehicle 1 by communicating with a vehicle key (smart key 92), and is further provided with a key device 34 that can detect whether the vehicle key (smart key 92) is in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1. The power supply device (inverter 20) can perform power conversion based on an instruction from a mobile terminal (smartphone 93) when the vehicle key (smart key 92) is not in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1. This allows the vehicle 1 to supply or stop power supply to the external device 91 even when the user is away from the vehicle 1. As a result, the vehicle 1 can provide increased convenience to the user.

[0064] [Effects] As described above, in this embodiment, a communication device capable of communicating with a mobile terminal and a power supply device capable of performing power conversion operations based on instruction data transmitted from the mobile terminal and supplying power generated by the power conversion operations to an external device via a power supply terminal are provided, thereby improving convenience for the user.

[0065] In this embodiment, a key device is further provided that can lock or unlock the vehicle doors by communicating with the vehicle key and detect whether the vehicle key is inside the vehicle. Furthermore, when the vehicle key is not inside the vehicle, the power supply device can perform power conversion based on an instruction from the mobile terminal. This improves user convenience.

[0066] [Variation 1] In the above embodiment, the smart key 92 is used, but this is not limiting. Instead, for example, as shown in Fig. 4, a smartphone 93A may be used as the smart key. In this example, the key device 34 is configured to communicate with the smartphone 93A to lock or unlock the doors of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, by communicating with the smartphone 93A, the key device 34 is able to detect whether the smartphone 93A is present in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1.

[0067] [Variation 2] In the above embodiment, the operation mode setting unit 28 sets the operation mode to the first operation mode or the second operation mode based on a user operation. However, this is not limited to this. Alternatively, for example, the operation mode setting unit 28 may set the operation mode to the first operation mode or the second operation mode based on the location of the smart key 92. In this example, the key device 34 communicates with the smart key 92 to detect whether the smart key 92 is located within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 1. For example, if the smart key 92 is located within the predetermined distance from the vehicle 1, the operation mode setting unit 28 may set the operation mode to the second operation mode, and if the smart key 92 is not located within the predetermined distance from the vehicle 1, the operation mode setting unit 28 may set the operation mode to the first operation mode.

[0068] In this example, the operation mode setting unit 28 sets the operation mode based on the location of the smart key 92. However, instead of this, the operation mode may be set based on, for example, the location of the smartphone 93. In this example, the wireless communication device 35 communicates with the smartphone 93 to detect whether the smartphone 93 is located within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 1. For example, the operation mode setting unit 28 can set the operation mode to the second operation mode when the smartphone 93 is located within the predetermined distance from the vehicle 1, and can set the operation mode to the first operation mode when the smartphone 93 is not located within the predetermined distance from the vehicle 1.

[0069] [Variation 3] In the above embodiment, when the smart key 92 is inside the vehicle, the power conversion control unit 27 controls the power conversion operation of the inverter 20 based on the state of the power supply switch 16. For example, when the user moves from inside the vehicle to outside the vehicle with the smart key 92, the power conversion control unit 27 may stop the power conversion operation of the inverter 20. For example, the power conversion control unit 27 may stop the power conversion operation of the inverter 20 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the smart key 92 was moved from inside the vehicle to outside the vehicle. At that time, the user interface 33 of the vehicle 1 or the smartphone 93 may notify the user that the power supply to the external device 91 will be stopped as a result of the power conversion operation of the inverter 20 being stopped.

[0070] Furthermore, the power conversion control unit 27 may continue or stop the power conversion operation of the inverter 20 in response to a user operation, as will be described below.

[0071] FIG. 5 shows an example of the operation of the inverter 20 according to this modification.

[0072] First, the power conversion control unit 27 checks whether the inverter 20 is performing a power conversion operation (step S131). Specifically, the power conversion control unit 27 checks whether the DC / DC converter 22 and the DC / AC inverter 23 are operating, thereby checking whether the inverter 20 is performing a power conversion operation. If the inverter 20 is not performing a power conversion operation ("N" in step S131), this process ends.

[0073] If the inverter 20 is performing a power conversion operation in step S131 ("Y" in step S131), the key device 34 checks whether the smart key 92 has been moved from inside the vehicle to outside the vehicle (step S132). If the smart key 92 has not been moved from inside the vehicle to outside the vehicle ("N" in step S132), this process ends.

[0074] If the smart key 92 has been moved from the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle in step S132 ("Y" in step S132), the power conversion control unit 27 controls the operation of the smartphone 93 to inquire of the user whether it is okay to stop the power supply (step S133). The user operates the smartphone 93 to issue an instruction to maintain or stop the power supply. Based on the user's operation on the smartphone 93, the smartphone 93 transmits instruction data to the vehicle 1 instructing it to maintain or stop the power supply.

[0075] The power conversion control unit 27 checks whether the wireless communication device 35 has received instruction data instructing the wireless communication device 35 to maintain the power supply (step S134). If instruction data instructing the wireless communication device 35 to maintain the power supply has been received ("Y" in step S134), this process ends.

[0076] In step S134, if instruction data instructing the stopping of power supply is received ("N" in step S134), the power conversion control unit 27 controls the inverter 20 to stop power conversion operation by stopping the operation of the DC / DC converter 22 and the DC / AC inverter 23 (step S135).

[0077] This completes the process.

[0078] Whether this operation is enabled or disabled may be set in advance based on, for example, a user operation on the user interface 33 or a user operation on the smartphone 93 .

[0079] [Modification 4] In the above embodiment, the inverter 20 may stop the power conversion operation, for example, when the power plug of the external device 91 is unplugged from the AC outlet 15. The operation of the inverter 20 according to this modification will be described in detail below.

[0080] FIG. 6 shows an example of the operation of the inverter 20 according to this modification.

[0081] First, the power conversion control unit 27 checks whether the inverter 20 is performing a power conversion operation (step S141). Specifically, the power conversion control unit 27 checks whether the DC / DC converter 22 and the DC / AC inverter 23 are operating, thereby checking whether the inverter 20 is performing a power conversion operation. If the inverter 20 is not performing a power conversion operation ("N" in step S141), this process ends.

[0082] In step S141, if the inverter 20 is performing a power conversion operation ("Y" in step S141), the DC / AC inverter 23 checks whether the output current is 0 A (step S142). For example, if the power plug of the external device 91 is unplugged from the AC outlet 15, the output current of the DC / AC inverter 23 becomes 0 A. Therefore, the DC / AC inverter 23 can check whether the power plug of the external device 91 is unplugged from the AC outlet 15 by checking whether the output current is 0 A. If the output current of the DC / AC inverter 23 is not 0 A ("N" in step S142), this process ends.

[0083] In step S142, if the output current is 0 A ("Y" in step S142), the power conversion control unit 27 controls the inverter 20 to stop the power conversion operation by stopping the operation of the DC / DC converter 22 and the DC / AC inverter 23 (step S143).

[0084] This completes the process.

[0085] As a result, in the vehicle 1 according to this modified example, when the power plug of the external device 91 is unplugged from the AC outlet 15, the operation of the inverter 20 can be stopped, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0086] Furthermore, for example, when inverter 20 is performing a power conversion operation for external device 91, if a malicious third party unplugs the power plug of external device 91 from AC outlet 15 and plugs the power plug of the third party's external device into AC outlet 15, the power conversion operation of inverter 20 will stop. As a result, in vehicle 1 according to this modification, power is not supplied to the third party's external device, and power theft can be prevented.

[0087] When the user wants to restart the power conversion operation of the inverter 20 after the inverter 20 has stopped the power conversion operation, the user inserts the power plug of the external device 91 into the AC outlet 15, and as shown in Fig. 2, the user operates the power supply switch 16 or the smartphone 93. This causes the inverter 20 to restart the power conversion operation and supply power to the external device 91.

[0088] Whether this operation is enabled or disabled may be set in advance based on, for example, a user operation on the user interface 33 or a user operation on the smartphone 93 .

[0089] 2 , when the smart key 92 is not inside the vehicle cabin, the power conversion control unit 27 controls the inverter 20 to perform or stop the power conversion operation based on the state of the power supply switch 16 and the instruction data transmitted from the smartphone 93. However, this is not limited to this. Instead, for example, regardless of whether the smart key 92 is inside the vehicle cabin, the power conversion control unit 27 may control the inverter 20 to perform or stop the power conversion operation based on the state of the power supply switch 16 and the instruction data transmitted from the smartphone 93.

[0090] [Variation 6] In the above embodiment, the user operates the power supply switch 16 to instruct whether or not to cause the inverter 20 to perform a power conversion operation, but this is not limited to this. Instead, for example, the user may operate the user interface 33 to instruct whether or not to cause the inverter 20 to perform a power conversion operation. Here, the user interface 33 corresponds to a specific example of an "operation input unit" in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0091] [Other Modifications] Two or more of these modifications may be combined.

[0092] Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is by no means limited to the above-described embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure is intended to encompass such modifications and variations to the extent that they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0093] For example, in the present embodiment, the present technology is applied to an electric vehicle, but the present technology is not limited to this. Instead, the present technology may be applied to a vehicle that runs on engine power, for example. In this case, the vehicle includes an engine and an alternator. The alternator generates electric power based on the engine power. The vehicle can supply this electric power to external devices.

[0094] The effects described in this specification are merely examples, and the effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described in this specification. Therefore, other effects may be obtained with respect to the present disclosure.

[0095] Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the following aspects.

[0096] (1) A vehicle comprising: a communication device capable of communicating with a mobile terminal; and a power supply device capable of performing a power conversion operation based on instruction data transmitted from the mobile terminal and supplying power generated by the power conversion operation to an external device via a power supply terminal. (2) The vehicle described in (1), further comprising a key device capable of locking or unlocking a door of the vehicle by communicating with a vehicle key and capable of detecting whether the vehicle key is in a passenger compartment of the vehicle, wherein the power supply device is capable of performing the power conversion operation based on an instruction from the mobile terminal when the vehicle key is not in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. (3) The vehicle described in (2), wherein the mobile terminal is capable of operating as the vehicle key. (4) The vehicle described in (2) or (3), wherein the power supply device is capable of not performing the power conversion operation based on an instruction from the mobile terminal when the vehicle key is in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. (5) The vehicle according to any of (2) to (4), further comprising an operation input unit capable of accepting user operation, wherein the power supply device is capable of performing the power conversion operation based on an instruction from the operation input unit when the vehicle key is in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. (6) The vehicle according to any of (1) to (5), wherein the power supply device is capable of stopping the power conversion operation when the external device is removed from the outlet. (7) A control device comprising a control circuit capable of controlling whether or not power generated by the power conversion operation is supplied to the external device via a power supply terminal by controlling the power conversion operation of a power supply circuit provided in the vehicle based on instruction data transmitted from a mobile terminal. (8) The control device according to (7), wherein the control device is capable of causing the power supply circuit to perform the power conversion operation based on an instruction from the mobile terminal when a key device capable of detecting whether the vehicle key is in the passenger compartment of the vehicle detects that the vehicle key is not in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

[0097] The microcontroller 26 shown in FIG. 1 may be implemented by circuitry including at least one semiconductor integrated circuit, such as at least one processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The at least one processor may be configured to perform all or a portion of the various functions of the microcontroller 26 shown in FIG. 1 by reading instructions from at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. Such medium may take various forms, including, but not limited to, various magnetic media such as hard disks, various optical media such as CDs or DVDs, and various semiconductor memories (i.e., semiconductor circuits) such as volatile or non-volatile memories. Volatile memory may include DRAM and SRAM. Non-volatile memory may include ROM and NVRAM. An ASIC is an integrated circuit (IC) specialized to perform all or a portion of the various functions of the microcontroller 26 shown in FIG. 1. An FPGA is an integrated circuit that is designed to be configurable after manufacture to perform some or all of the functions of the microcontroller 26 shown in FIG.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a communication device capable of communicating with a mobile terminal; and a power supply device capable of performing power conversion operations based on instruction data transmitted from the mobile terminal, and capable of supplying power generated by the power conversion operations to an external device via a power supply terminal.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a key device capable of locking or unlocking the vehicle doors by communicating with a vehicle key and detecting whether the vehicle key is inside the vehicle, wherein the power supply device is capable of performing the power conversion operation based on an instruction from the mobile terminal when the vehicle key is not inside the vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the mobile terminal is operable as the vehicle key.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the power supply device is capable of not performing the power conversion operation based on an instruction from the mobile terminal when the vehicle key is inside the vehicle.

5. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising an operation input unit capable of receiving user operations, wherein the power supply device is capable of performing the power conversion operation based on instructions from the operation input unit when the vehicle key is inside the vehicle cabin.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power supply device is capable of stopping the power conversion operation when the external device is disconnected from the power supply terminal.

7. A control device having a control circuit that can control the power conversion operation of a power supply circuit installed in a vehicle based on instruction data transmitted from a mobile terminal, thereby controlling whether or not the power generated by the power conversion operation is supplied to an external device via a power supply terminal.

8. The control device according to claim 7, wherein when a key device capable of detecting whether a vehicle key for the vehicle is present in the vehicle interior detects that the vehicle key is not present in the vehicle interior, the control device is capable of causing the power supply circuit to perform the power conversion operation based on instructions from the mobile terminal.

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