Vehicle control device, program, and control method

Abstract

A vehicle control device (231) is provided in a vehicle comprising: an electric power reception device (100) to which electric power is supplied from an electric power transmission device (20); an electric power storage unit (300) to which electric power received by the electric power reception device is supplied; a rotary electric machine (320) having an armature winding (321) and a rotor (322) capable of transferring motive power to a drive wheel (12) of a vehicle (11); and an inverter (310) connected to the armature winding. The vehicle control device comprises: a processing unit that controls the rotary electric machine and the electric power reception device; and a parameter calculation unit that calculates a parameter related to a state of the vehicle. The processing unit executes a control process of determining a control mode of at least one of the rotary electric machine and the electric power reception device on the basis of the calculated parameter.

Description

Vehicle control device, program, and control method Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Application No. 2025-024235 filed on February 18, 2025, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a program, and a control method.

[0003] Conventionally, a vehicle is known that includes a power receiving device powered by a power transmission device provided along the vehicle traveling direction, a power storage unit to which the received power of the power receiving device is supplied, a rotating electric machine, and an inverter. The rotating electric machine has a rotor that can transmit power to the drive wheels of the vehicle and armature windings. The inverter is connected to the armature windings.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which a control device included in a vehicle restricts the reception of AC power by the power receiving device when the SOC of the power storage unit is greater than a predetermined threshold value. The control device decreases the predetermined threshold value as the vehicle speed of the vehicle equipped with the power receiving device and the power storage unit increases. Thereby, the regenerative energy generated by regenerative drive control is efficiently stored in the power storage unit.

[0005] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2024-139284

[0006] There is still room for improvement in the technology for effectively using the energy of the power storage unit.

[0007] The main object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle control device, a program, and a control method that can effectively use the energy of the power storage unit.

[0008] This disclosure relates to a vehicle control device applied to a vehicle comprising: a power receiving device supplied with power from a power transmission device provided along the direction of vehicle travel; a power storage unit to which the power received by the power receiving device is supplied; a rotating electric machine having a rotor and armature windings capable of transmitting power to the drive wheels of the vehicle; and an inverter connected to the armature windings, wherein the control device comprises: a processing unit for controlling the rotating electric machine and the power receiving device; and a parameter calculation unit for calculating parameters relating to the state of the vehicle, the processing unit executes a control process to determine a control mode for at least one of the rotating electric machine and the power receiving device based on the calculated parameters.

[0009] This allows for the efficient use of energy from the energy storage unit.

[0010] The above-mentioned and other purposes, features and advantages of this disclosure will be further clarified by the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings are as follows: Figure 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a contactless power supply system according to the first embodiment; Figure 2 is a diagram showing a power transmission device and a power receiving device; Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of wide-area wireless communication between the power transmission device and the vehicle; Figure 4 is a flowchart of the process performed by the control device; Figure 5 is a flowchart of the process performed by the control device according to the second embodiment; and Figure 6 is a diagram showing the case when a vehicle is about to enter the power supply lane.

[0011] Multiple embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In multiple embodiments, functionally and / or structurally corresponding and / or related parts may be given the same reference numeral, or reference numerals that differ by hundreds or more digits. For corresponding and / or related parts, refer to the descriptions of other embodiments.

[0012] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment of the contactless power supply system according to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] First, the overall configuration of the contactless power supply system will be explained. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the contactless power supply system 10 comprises a power transmission device 20 and a power receiving device 100. The power receiving device 100 is a vehicle-side device mounted on a vehicle 11, which is a mobile body traveling on a road RS. The vehicle 11 is, for example, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. Power is supplied from the power transmission device 20 to the power receiving device 100 while the vehicle 11 is moving or stopped. The contactless power supply system 10 performs wireless power transmission from the power transmission device 20 to the power receiving device 100 by magnetic field resonance coupling (magnetic resonance). The contactless power supply system 10 is also called a dynamic wireless power transmission (D-WPT) system.

[0014] The power transmission device 20 is a ground-side device comprising a power transmission coil unit 21 and a power transmission power supply unit 51 that supplies power to the power transmission coil unit 21. The power transmission device 20 is, for example, a stationary device. The power transmission coil unit 21 is installed (for example, buried) in a road RS or parking lot, etc. The power transmission power supply unit 51 is installed, for example, next to the road RS. The power transmission coil unit 21 is connected to the power transmission power supply unit 51. The power transmission power supply unit 51 is connected to an AC power source 15 and supplies AC power from the AC power source 15 to the power transmission coil unit 21. The AC power source 15 is, for example, a commercial power source. Multiple power transmission coil units 21 are arranged along the lanes of the road RS. Figure 1 shows an example in which four power transmission coil units 21 arranged in a row along the road RS are connected to one power transmission power supply unit 51. In other words, one power supply unit 51 is provided for every four power transmission coil units 21. The multiple power transmission coil units 21 are arranged in a line at predetermined intervals in the direction of vehicle travel. The spacing between each power transmission coil unit 21 is such that the distance between the centers of each power transmission coil unit 21 in the direction of vehicle travel is approximately 1.5 to 2 m, and the distance between each power transmission coil unit 21 is approximately 0.5 to 0.8 m. In Figure 1, the spacing between each power transmission coil unit 21 is denoted as D1.

[0015] Furthermore, the configuration is not limited to one power supply unit 51 being provided for each of the multiple power transmission coil units 21; a configuration in which one power transmission coil unit 51 is provided for each power transmission coil unit 21 is also possible.

[0016] The power transmission power supply unit 51 includes a PFC circuit 61, an inverter 60, and a filter circuit 52. The PFC circuit 61 includes an AC / DC converter and is connected to the AC power supply 15. By switching the switching elements (e.g., IGBTs or MOSFETs) of the PFC circuit 61, the power factor of the AC power input from the AC power supply 15 is improved, and the input AC power is converted to DC power.

[0017] The inverter 60 is connected to the PFC circuit 61. The switching elements (e.g., IGBTs or MOSFETs) S1H, S1L, S2H, and S2L of the inverter 60 are switched to convert the DC power input from the PFC circuit 61 into AC power.

[0018] The filter circuit 52 removes noise contained in the AC current input from the inverter 60 and supplies the noise-free AC current to the power transmission coil unit 21. The filter circuit 52 is, for example, an LC filter including a coil and a capacitor. Various configurations of circuits can be used as the filter circuit 52; specifically, for example, a T-type filter circuit is used.

[0019] The power transmission coil unit 21 comprises a power transmission coil 22, which is a power transmission antenna, a power transmission resonant circuit 30, and a power transmission communication coil 40. The power transmission resonant circuit 30 supplies AC power supplied from the filter circuit 52 to the power transmission coil 22. Various well-known resonant circuits, such as a circuit equipped with a resonant capacitor, can be used as the power transmission resonant circuit 30.

[0020] The power receiving device 100 comprises a power receiving coil unit 101 and a power receiving power supply unit 181. The power receiving coil unit 101 includes a power receiving coil 102, which is a power receiving antenna. The power receiving coil unit 101 is located at the bottom of the vehicle body 11. The power receiving coil unit 101 is located at the bottom of the vehicle body and faces the ground surface. When the vehicle 11 travels on the road RS in which the power transmission coil 22 is buried, the power transmission coil 22 on the ground and the power receiving coil 102 on the vehicle 11 face each other in the vertical direction.

[0021] The power receiving device 100 includes a power receiving side resonant circuit 140. A power receiving coil 102 is connected to the power receiving side resonant circuit 140. Power is supplied to the power receiving coil 102 from the power transmitting coil 22. The power receiving coil 102 supplies the received power to the power receiving side resonant circuit 140. Various well-known resonant circuits, such as a circuit equipped with a resonant capacitor, can be used as the power receiving side resonant circuit 140.

[0022] The power receiving device 100 includes a filter circuit 182, a rectifier circuit 200 that functions as a DC-AC conversion circuit, and a smoothing capacitor 210. The filter circuit 182 removes noise contained in the AC current input from the power receiving side resonant circuit 140 and supplies the noise-free AC current to the rectifier circuit 200. In this embodiment, the filter circuit 182 is, for example, an LC filter comprising a reactor and a capacitor.

[0023] The rectifier circuit 200 converts the input alternating current into a direct current and outputs it. The rectifier circuit 200 is, for example, a full-bridge circuit equipped with semiconductor switching elements, or a diode rectifier circuit. The first terminal of the smoothing capacitor 210 is connected to the high-potential output terminal of the rectifier circuit 200. The second terminal of the smoothing capacitor 210 is connected to the low-potential output terminal of the rectifier circuit 200. The rectifier circuit 200 is also called an ERB (Electronic Rectification Box).

[0024] Vehicle 11 is equipped with a high-potential side main switch 301H, a low-potential side main switch 301L, and a high-voltage battery 300 which is an energy storage unit. The high-potential side main switch 301H and the low-potential side main switch 301L are, for example, relays (specifically, mechanical relays). The positive terminal of the high-voltage battery 300 is connected to the high-potential side output terminal of the rectifier circuit 200 via the high-potential side main switch 301H. The negative terminal of the high-voltage battery 300 is connected to the low-potential side output terminal of the rectifier circuit 200 via the low-potential side main switch 301L. The high-voltage battery 300 is a rechargeable secondary battery and has a rated voltage of, for example, several hundred volts. The high-voltage battery 300 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery.

[0025] The vehicle 11 is equipped with a traction inverter 310 and a rotating electric machine 320. The traction inverter 310 is a three-phase inverter and is connected to a high-voltage battery 300 via a high-potential main switch 301H and a low-potential main switch 301L. The armature winding 321 of the rotating electric machine 320 is connected to the upper and lower arm switches that make up the traction inverter 310. When the high-potential main switch 301H and the low-potential main switch 301L are turned ON, the upper and lower arm switches of the traction inverter 310 are switched, causing the traction inverter 310 to convert the DC power supplied from the high-voltage battery 300 into AC power and supply it to the armature winding. As a result, the rotor 322 of the rotating electric machine 320 rotates, and the rotational power of the rotor 322 rotates the drive wheels 12 of the vehicle 11. As a result, the vehicle 11 moves.

[0026] The power transmission unit 51, which constitutes the power transmission device 20, includes a power transmission control unit 70. The power transmission control unit 70 includes a power transmission control device 71. The power transmission control device 71 is an electronic control unit (ECU) that performs various controls on the power transmission device 20, and includes a processor as hardware, a memory unit, and a communication bus connecting the processor and the memory unit.

[0027] The memory unit includes memory and storage as hardware. The memory is a storage device for storing data used in processing by the power transmission control device 71. The memory provides the processor with a temporary workspace for use when the processor is performing processing. The memory includes, for example, ROM or RAM. The storage is a storage device that stores various programs and data for the processor to read and execute, and is a non-transitory tangible storage medium. The storage includes, for example, an HDD or flash memory. The storage stores program information and the like for processing described later.

[0028] The power receiving unit 181, which constitutes the power receiving device 100, includes a power receiving control device 231. The power receiving control device 231 is an ECU that performs various controls of the power receiving device 100, and includes a processor as hardware, a memory unit, and a communication bus connecting the processor and the memory unit.

[0029] The memory unit includes memory and storage as hardware. The memory is a storage device for storing data used in processing by the power receiving control device 231. The memory provides the processor with a temporary workspace for use when the processor is performing processing. The memory includes, for example, ROM or RAM. The storage is a storage device that stores various programs and data for the processor to read and execute, and is a non-transitory tangible storage medium. The storage includes, for example, an HDD or flash memory. The storage stores program information and the like for processing described later.

[0030] The power transmission control device 71 controls the switching of the PFC circuit 61 and the inverter 60. The switching control of the inverter 60 applies a high-frequency AC voltage to the power transmission coil 22. This causes a high-frequency current to flow through the power transmission coil 22, generating a magnetic field for power transmission.

[0031] In this embodiment, the power transmission side control device 71 switches the inverter 60 so that the frequency of the high-frequency voltage applied to the power transmission coil 22 is 10 kHz or higher and 100 GHz or lower, which is a first specified frequency (specifically, 85 kHz). The resonant frequencies of the power transmission side resonant circuit 30 and the power receiving side resonant circuit 140 are set to the same frequency as the first specified frequency or a frequency close to the first specified frequency.

[0032] When the magnetic field generated in the transmission coil 22 links with the receiving coil 102 of the vehicle 11, a high-frequency current flows through the receiving coil 102, fluctuating at the frequency of the high-frequency current flowing through the transmission coil 22. The high-frequency current flowing through the receiving coil 102 is supplied to the rectifier circuit 200 via the receiving-side resonant circuit 140 and the filter circuit 182. The rectifier circuit 200 converts the supplied AC current into DC current and outputs it. When the high-potential side main switch 301H and the low-potential side main switch 301L are ON, the output current of the rectifier circuit 200 is supplied to the high-voltage storage battery 300 and the traction inverter 310.

[0033] Vehicle 11 is equipped with a low-voltage battery 302. The rated voltage of the low-voltage battery 302 is lower than the rated voltage of the high-voltage battery 300. The low-voltage battery 302 is, for example, a lead-acid battery. The power receiving control device 231 becomes operational when power is supplied from the low-voltage battery 302.

[0034] The power receiving device 100 and the power transmitting device 20 are configured for communication between the power receiving device 100 and the power transmitting device 20. Specifically, the power receiving coil unit 101 that constitutes the power receiving device 100 includes a power receiving communication coil 170, which is a power receiving communication antenna. The power receiving control unit 230 includes a transmitter 240.

[0035] The power transmission coil unit 21, which constitutes the power transmission device 20, is equipped with a power transmission communication coil 40, which is a power transmission communication antenna. The power transmission control unit 70 is equipped with a receiver 80. The receiving communication coil 170 and the power transmission communication coil 40 are communication coils for performing narrow-area wireless communication. Narrow-area wireless communication is communication with a communication distance of less than 10 meters (for example, a maximum of 3 meters). Narrow-area wireless communication is a communication with a shorter communication distance compared to wide-area wireless communication.

[0036] Furthermore, various short-range wireless communication methods can be used for narrow-range wireless communication. For example, communication methods conforming to any communication standards established by organizations such as IEEE, ISO, and IEC are used. Specifically, for example, Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), or DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) can be used as narrow-range wireless communication.

[0037] A transmitter 240 is connected to the power receiving control device 231. A power receiving communication coil 170 is connected to the transmitter 240. The power receiving control device 231 controls the transmitter 240 in order to supply a power supply request signal COMM to the power receiving communication coil 170. The power supply request signal COMM is a signal that requests the power transmission coil 22 near the vehicle 11 to supply power to the power receiving coil 102.

[0038] The power receiving control unit 230 supplies the vehicle-side signal, including the power supply request signal COMM, to the power receiving communication coil 170 in a single frame. As a result, a high-frequency voltage is applied from the transmitter 240 to the power receiving communication coil 170. Consequently, a high-frequency current flows through the power receiving communication coil 170, and a magnetic field for information communication is generated in the power receiving communication coil 170. In this embodiment, the power supply request signal includes ID information, which is specific information that identifies the vehicle 11, and requested power Weq, which is the requested power supply value for the vehicle 11.

[0039] When the receiving coil unit 101 of vehicle 11 is close to the transmitting coil unit 21 on the ground side, a magnetic field generated from the receiving communication coil 170 links with the transmitting communication coil 40, causing a high-frequency current to flow through the transmitting communication coil 40. This high-frequency current is input to the receiver 80. Based on the signal from the transmitting communication coil 40, the receiver 80 recognizes whether a power supply request is being made and the ID information. The receiver 80 also acquires the requested power Weq of vehicle 11 with the recognized ID information based on the signal from the transmitting communication coil 40. The information recognized by the receiver 80 and the requested power Weq are input to the transmitting control device 71.

[0040] In this embodiment, the receiving-side control device 231 controls the transmitter 240 so that the frequency of the high-frequency voltage applied to the receiving-side communication coil 170 is a second specified frequency which is 10 kHz or higher and 100 GHz or lower. In this embodiment, the second specified frequency is a frequency that is shifted from the first specified frequency, and specifically a frequency higher than the first specified frequency (specifically, 13.56 MHz).

[0041] The power transmission control device 71 determines whether or not to energize the power transmission coil 22 based on the input signal from the receiver 80. Specifically, the power transmission control device 71 applies a high-frequency voltage to the power transmission coil 22 by switching control the inverter 60 and the PFC circuit 61, provided that it has determined that there is a power supply request based on the input signal from the receiver 80.

[0042] In more detail, if the power transmission control device 71 determines that there is no power supply request, it stops the switching control of the PFC circuit 61 and the inverter 60. As a result, the switching elements of the PFC circuit 61 and the inverter 60 remain off, and no power is supplied to the power transmission coil 22.

[0043] On the other hand, when the power transmission side control device 71 determines that there is a power supply request, it applies a high-frequency voltage to the power transmission coil 22 by performing switching control of the PFC circuit 61 and the inverter 60 over a predetermined period. As a result, a high-frequency current flows through the power transmission coil 22 over a predetermined period. In this case, non-contact power supply is performed from the power transmission coil 22 to the power reception coil 102 facing the power transmission coil 22 in the vertical direction. After energizing the power transmission coil 22 over a predetermined period, the power transmission side control device 71 does not energize the power transmission coil 22 until it next determines that there is a power supply request.

[0044] The vehicle 11 includes a mechanical brake device 350. The brake device 350 is provided corresponding to each wheel of the vehicle 11 and is a device that generates a braking force by applying a frictional force to the wheel.

[0045] The traveling inverter 310, the power reception device 100, and the brake device 350 can actually be controlled by separate control devices. However, in this embodiment, for convenience, it is assumed that the power reception side control device 231 controls the traveling inverter 310 and the brake device 350.

[0046] The power reception side control device 231 performs power running drive control or regenerative drive control. The power running drive control is switching control of the traveling inverter 310 that converts DC power output from the high-voltage battery 300 into AC power and supplies it to the armature winding 321. The regenerative drive control is switching control of the traveling inverter 310 that converts AC power generated in the armature winding 321 into DC power and supplies it to the high-voltage battery 300 during the running of the vehicle 11.

[0047] Vehicle 11 includes a current sensor 340, a voltage sensor 341, and a vehicle speed sensor 342. The current sensor 340 detects the current flowing through various mounted devices of the vehicle 11 (specifically, components of the power receiving device 100), for example, the current flowing through the power receiving coil 102 and the rectifier circuit 200. The voltage sensor 341 detects the voltage of various mounted devices of the vehicle 11 (specifically, components of the power receiving device 100), for example, the voltage of the power receiving coil 102 and the smoothing capacitor 210. The vehicle speed sensor 342 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle 11. The detection values of each of the sensors 340 to 342 are input to the power receiving side control device 231.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining wide area wireless communication in the non-contact power feeding system 10. In the non-contact power feeding system 10, each vehicle 11 can communicate with each power transmission device 20 via a communication network 16. The communication network 16 includes, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as a public communication network like the Internet, a telephone communication network of a mobile phone, an information communication network of ETC, and an information communication network of a road traffic information communication system (Vehicle Information and Communication System: VICS (registered trademark)). Wide area wireless communication is communication with a longer communication distance compared to short range wireless communication. Wide area wireless communication is communication with a communication distance of, for example, 10 meters to 10 kilometers. As wide area wireless communication, for example, 3GPP (registered trademark), 4G, LTE, 5G, or WiMAX (registered trademark) formulated by IEEE is used.

[0049] Vehicle 11 includes a position sensor 330, a navigation device 331, and a communication unit 332. The position sensor 330 is a sensor that detects the current position of the vehicle, for example, a GPS sensor. Map information including road information is stored in the storage unit (for example, storage) of the navigation device 331. The navigation device 331 receives the current position information of the vehicle detected by the position sensor 330 and weather information. The power transmission side control unit 70 of the power transmission device 20 includes a communication unit 90. The communication unit 332 of the vehicle 11 and the communication unit 90 of the power transmission side control unit 70 perform wide area wireless communication via the communication network 16.

[0050] The contactless power supply system 10 includes a server 410. The server 410 is, for example, a cloud server and includes a server control device 411 and a communication unit 412. The server control device 411 is an electronic control unit (ECU) that performs various controls on the server 410 and includes a processor as hardware, a memory unit, and a communication bus connecting the processor and the memory unit. The memory unit includes memory and storage as hardware. The memory is a storage device for storing data used for processing by the server control device 411. The memory provides the processor with a workspace for temporary use when the processor performs processing. The memory includes, for example, ROM or RAM. The storage is a storage device that stores various programs and data for the processor to read and execute, and is a non-transitory tangible storage medium. The storage includes, for example, an HDD or flash memory. The storage stores program information for processing described later.

[0051] The server control device 411 is connected to the communication unit 412. The server control device 411 performs wide-area wireless communication with the communication unit 332 of the vehicle 11 and the communication unit 90 of the power transmission side control unit 70 via the communication unit 412 and the communication network 16.

[0052] For example, program information stored on a non-transitional physical recording medium is installed in the storage units of the power receiving control device 231, the power transmitting control device 71, and the server control device 411. The recording medium is, for example, a USB memory stick, a CD-ROM, or a DVD. In addition, program information transmitted via a communication network 16, such as OTA (Over The Air), is also installed in the storage units.

[0053] Next, the characteristic configuration of this embodiment will be described. The power receiving control device 231, which serves as a vehicle control device, estimates the mass of the vehicle 11 in order to effectively utilize the energy of the high-voltage battery 300, and sets the target SOC of the high-voltage battery 300 based on the estimated mass.

[0054] Figure 4 is a flowchart of the process executed by the power receiving control device 231. This process is executed repeatedly, for example, at a predetermined control cycle.

[0055] In step S10, the power receiving control device 231 calculates the estimated mass M of the vehicle 11. The estimation method during powered drive control and the estimation method during regenerative drive control will be explained below.

[0056] First, the estimation method in powered drive control will be explained. The power receiving control device 231 calculates the estimated mass M based on the power Wac supplied from the high-voltage battery 300 to the drive inverter 310 during powered drive control, the driving speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 342, the gradient S of the road the vehicle 11 travels on, and the following equation (eq1). For example, the power receiving control device 231 calculates the estimated mass M while the vehicle 11 is accelerating.

[0057] In the equation (eq1) below, A is a constant related to the air resistance of the vehicle 11, and B and C are constants related to the rolling resistance of the wheels. α is the acceleration of the vehicle 11. η is the conversion efficiency of the kinetic energy of the vehicle 11 per unit time to the electrical energy per unit time supplied to the traction inverter 310, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. The supplied power Wacc can be calculated based on the detected values ​​of the current sensor 340 and the voltage sensor 341. The acceleration α can be calculated based on the detected value of the vehicle speed sensor.

[0058] Furthermore, the receiving-side control device 231 may, for example, acquire the driving speed V, acceleration α, gradient S, and supplied power Wac at multiple timings, and perform a process to learn the values ​​of coefficients A, B, and C using the least squares method or the like with these acquired values ​​as input. This can improve the accuracy of calculating the mass estimate M. In the case of electric vehicles that are not equipped with an internal combustion engine, there is no change in the total vehicle weight due to fuel consumption. For this reason, it can be expected that the accuracy of calculating the mass estimate M can be improved in electric vehicles. Incidentally, the receiving-side control device 231 may set a larger target energy storage amount SCt the larger the learned A, B, and C values ​​are.

[0059] Furthermore, the gradient S used to calculate the mass estimate M may be calculated, for example, based on map information stored in the memory unit of the navigation device 331 and the current position information of the vehicle 11 detected by the position sensor 330, or it may be calculated based on the detected value of the sensor that detects the attitude of the vehicle 11.

[0060] Next, the estimation method in regenerative drive control will be explained. The power receiving control device 231 calculates the estimated mass M based on the power Wdec supplied from the driving inverter 310 to the high-voltage battery 300 during the execution of regenerative drive control, the driving speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 342, and the following formula (eq2). For example, the power receiving control device 231 calculates the estimated mass M while the vehicle 11 is decelerating.

[0061] Furthermore, the power receiving control device 231 may perform a process to learn the values ​​of coefficients A, B, and C, similar to the process performed during the execution of power drive control.

[0062] In the subsequent step S11, the receiving-side control device 231 sets the target energy storage amount SCt, which is the target SOC of the high-voltage battery 300, to a smaller value the larger the calculated mass estimate M is. This setting is based on the fact that the amount of regenerative power that can be expected from the subsequent regenerative drive control is approximately proportional to the kinetic energy of the vehicle 11 (E = 1 / 2 × M × V^2).

[0063] In step S12, the power receiving control device 231 calculates the current energy storage amount SCr, which is the current state of charge (SOC) of the high-voltage battery 300. The current energy storage amount SCr can be calculated by various known methods, for example, and may be calculated based on the detected value of the current sensor 340.

[0064] In step S13, the power receiving control device 231 determines whether the calculated current energy storage amount SCr exceeds the set target energy storage amount SCt.

[0065] If the power receiving control device 231 determines that the current stored energy SCr exceeds the target stored energy SCt, it proceeds to step S14 and performs a process to restrict charging to the high-voltage battery 300. Several examples of the restriction process are described below.

[0066] (A1) The power receiving control device 231 prohibits the execution of regenerative drive control. This limits the charging of the high-voltage battery 300.

[0067] (A2) The receiving-side control device 231 prohibits the receiving coil 102 from receiving power from the transmitting coil 22. For example, the receiving-side control device 231 prohibits the transmission of a power supply request signal from the receiving-side communication coil 170, thereby limiting the charging of the high-voltage storage battery 300.

[0068] (A3) The power receiving control device 231 reduces the requested power Weq included in the vehicle-side signal. This limits the charging of the high-voltage battery 300.

[0069] The receiving-side control device 231 sets the target energy storage amount SCt smaller the larger the calculated mass estimate M is. This ensures that when regenerative drive control is subsequently performed, the regenerative power from the rotating electric machine 320 can be sufficiently supplied to the high-voltage battery 300. As a result, the frequency of operation of the braking system 350, which releases the kinetic energy of the vehicle 11 as heat energy, can be reduced, and the regenerative energy can be used effectively.

[0070] In particular, in vehicles such as cargo vehicles, where the vehicle weight changes significantly depending on the weight of the load, using the mass estimate M to set the target energy storage amount SCt makes it possible to set an appropriate target energy storage amount SCt for accepting the regenerative energy of the rotating electric machine 320.

[0071] The gradient S of the travel path is used to calculate the estimated mass M. This improves the accuracy of the estimated mass M, and consequently, allows the target energy storage amount SCt to be set to an appropriate value for utilizing regenerative energy.

[0072] <Modification of the First Embodiment> Information on the gradient S does not need to be used in the calculation of the mass estimate M.

[0073] <Second Embodiment> The second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, when the vehicle 11 travels along a power supply lane (see Figure 6) in which the power transmission coil units 21 are arranged in a row along the direction of vehicle travel, the power receiving control device 231 determines whether the calculated current stored energy SCr exceeds the target stored energy SCt. If the power receiving control device 231 determines that it exceeds the target stored energy SCt, it transmits power from the high-voltage battery 300 to the power transmission coil 22 via the power receiving coil 102 while the vehicle 11 is traveling along the power supply lane, so that the calculated current stored energy SCr becomes less than or equal to the target stored energy SCt.

[0074] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the process executed by the power receiving control device 231. This process is executed repeatedly, for example, at a predetermined control cycle.

[0075] In step S20, the power receiving control device 231 determines whether the vehicle 11 is traveling in the power supply lane. For example, the power receiving control device 231 can determine whether the vehicle is traveling in the power supply lane based on the map information from the navigation device 331 and the current location information of the vehicle 11 detected by the position sensor 330.

[0076] If the power receiving control device 231 determines that the vehicle is traveling in the power supply lane, it proceeds to step S21 and determines whether the calculated current energy storage amount SCr exceeds the set target energy storage amount SCt.

[0077] If the receiving-side control device 231 determines that the current stored energy SCr exceeds the target stored energy SCt, it proceeds to step S22 and transmits power from the vehicle 11's high-voltage battery 300 to the ground-side transmission coil 22 via the receiving coil 102 before the vehicle 11 leaves the power supply lane. This power transmission can be performed, for example, by the method described below.

[0078] The receiving-side control device 231 applies a high-frequency AC voltage to the receiving coil 102 by switching control of the rectifier circuit 200. As a result, a high-frequency current flows through the receiving coil 102 using the high-voltage battery 300 as the power source, and a magnetic field for power transmission is generated in the receiving coil 102. When the magnetic field generated in the receiving coil 102 links with the transmitting coil 22, a high-frequency current that fluctuates with the frequency of the high-frequency current flowing through the receiving coil 102 flows through the transmitting coil 22. The high-frequency current flowing through the transmitting coil 22 is supplied to the AC power source 15 via the transmitting-side resonant circuit 30, filter circuit 52, inverter 60, and PFC circuit 61. In this case, the transmitting-side control device 71 switches control the inverter 60 and the PFC circuit 61.

[0079] In a vehicle 11 capable of transmitting power to a ground-side power transmission device 20, the State of Charge (SOC) of the high-voltage battery 300 can be reduced not only by increasing the power consumption of on-board electrical equipment (e.g., a traction inverter 310 or an on-board air conditioning system), but also by transmitting power to the power transmission device 20. This allows sufficient regenerative power from the rotating electric machine 320 to be supplied to the high-voltage battery 300 during regenerative drive control performed after the vehicle 11 leaves the power supply lane. As a result, regenerative energy can be effectively utilized. Furthermore, since power transmission to the power transmission device 20 is used to reduce the SOC, there is no need to unnecessarily increase the power consumption of on-board electrical equipment.

[0080] <Other Embodiments> The above embodiments may be modified and implemented as follows.

[0081] The power receiving control device 231 may control the regenerative torque of the rotating electric machine 320 during deceleration of the vehicle 11 based on the calculated mass estimate M. This makes it possible to set the torque of the drive wheels 12 to a torque that can maintain the vehicle 11 in an appropriate position, thereby improving the handling performance of the vehicle 11.

[0082] This disclosure is applicable not only to contactless power supply systems but also to contact-type power supply systems comprising a power transmission unit provided on the ground and a power receiving unit that can make contact with the power transmission unit and is mounted on a vehicle.

[0083] Various antennas, not limited to communication coils, can be used as the receiving and transmitting communication antennas. For example, the communication antenna can be a dipole antenna or a monopole antenna.

[0084] The wireless power transmission method using the transmitting and receiving antennas is not limited to the magnetic field resonance method; it may also be an electric field coupling method. In this case, the transmitting and receiving antennas should be of a different form from coils and utilize an electric field coupling method.

[0085] In this disclosure or claims, the term "processor" means one or more hardware processors configured to execute processing defined by computer program code (i.e., one or more instructions of a computer program) contained in a computer program by reading the computer program code each time. In other words, a "processor" is a hardware device that executes one or more programmed processes. Therefore, computer program code can also be said to be software that can define the processing of the processor according to its content. A "processor" can be a general-purpose or specific-purpose processor, and may be, but is not limited to, a CPU, microprocessor, GPU, and DFP (Data Flow Processor).

[0086] In this disclosure or claims, the term “memory” means one or more hardware memories that are non-transitional tangible recording media configured to record computer program code and / or data in a manner accessible from a processor. “Memory” can be implemented by memory technology such as SRAM, SDRAM, non-volatile / flash type memory, or other types of memory. The computer program code that constitutes the program is recorded in memory and executed by a processor, thereby enabling the processor to perform the various functions described above.

[0087] In this disclosure or claims, the term “circuit” refers to one or more logic circuits as hardware, configured to perform specific processing defined by a pre-designed circuit configuration. In other words (and, in contrast to “processor”), “circuit” in this disclosure or claims refers to a hardware device that performs specific processing based on a circuit configuration, rather than processing defined by software such as the computer program code described above. For example, “circuit” may include custom ICs such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) designed with Hardware Description Language (HDL). That is, “circuit” in this disclosure or claims includes all hardware circuits except for the processors described above that perform processing by reading computer program code.

[0088] In this disclosure or claims, the expression "at least one of the circuit and processor" should be interpreted as disjunctive (logical OR) and not as "at least one circuit and at least one processor." Therefore, in this disclosure or claims, "at least one of the circuit and processor causes the device to perform functions" includes cases where the circuit alone causes the device to perform all functions. Also, "at least one of the circuit and processor causes the device to perform functions" includes cases where the processor alone causes the device to perform all functions. Furthermore, "at least one of the circuit and processor causes the device to perform functions" includes cases where the circuit causes the device to perform some functions and the processor causes the device to perform the remaining functions. In the last example, for example, if the device performs functions A to C, functions A and B may be implemented by the circuit, and the remaining function C may be implemented by the processor.

[0089] The following describes characteristic configurations extracted from each of the embodiments described above. [Configuration 1] A vehicle control device (231) applied to a vehicle comprising: a power receiving device (100) supplied with power from a power transmission device (20) provided along the direction of travel of the vehicle; a power storage unit (300) to which the power received by the power receiving device is supplied; a rotating electric machine (320) having a rotor (322) and an armature winding (321) that can transmit power to the drive wheels (12) of the vehicle (11); and an inverter (310) connected to the armature winding, wherein the vehicle control device comprises: a processing unit that controls the rotating electric machine and the power receiving device; and a parameter calculation unit that calculates parameters relating to the state of the vehicle, the processing unit executes a control process that determines the control mode of the rotating electric machine and the power receiving device based on the calculated parameters. [Configuration 2] The control of the rotating electric machine is regenerative drive control, which is switching control of the inverter that converts the AC power generated by the armature winding into DC power and supplies it to the energy storage unit; the processing unit, as the control process, calculates the SOC of the energy storage unit; if it determines that the calculated SOC exceeds the target SOC, it executes a process to limit the charging of the energy storage unit by the power received by the power receiving device and the charging of the energy storage unit by the regenerative drive control; the parameter calculation unit calculates the mass of the vehicle as the parameter; and in the control process, if the calculated mass is large, the target SOC is set smaller than when the mass is small, as described in Configuration 1. [Configuration 3] The control of the rotating electric machine is a motor drive control which is a regenerative drive control or a switching control of the inverter that converts the DC power output from the power storage unit into AC power and supplies it to the armature winding, the parameter calculation unit calculates an estimated value of the vehicle's mass as a parameter based on the power supplied from the power storage unit to the inverter and the vehicle's running speed when the motor drive control is performed, and in the control process, if the calculated estimated mass is large, the target SOC is set smaller than when the estimated mass is small, the vehicle control device according to Configuration 2.[Configuration 4] The parameter calculation unit calculates an estimated value of the vehicle's mass as a parameter based on the power supplied from the inverter to the energy storage unit and the vehicle's running speed when the regenerative drive control is performed, and in the control process, if the calculated estimated value of mass is large, the target SOC is set smaller than when the estimated value of mass is small, as described in Configuration 2 or 3. [Configuration 5] The parameter calculation unit further calculates the estimated value of mass using at least one of the gradient information of the vehicle's running path and the vehicle's running resistance information, as described in Configuration 3 or 4. [Configuration 6] The processing unit, when the vehicle is running in the power supply lane where the power transmission device is provided under the power drive control, determines that the calculated SOC exceeds the target SOC, and transmits power from the energy storage unit to the power transmission device while the vehicle is running in the power supply lane so that the calculated SOC becomes less than or equal to the target SOC, as described in any one of Configurations 3 to 5.

[0090] This disclosure is described in accordance with the embodiments, but it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to such embodiments or structures. This disclosure also includes various modifications and variations within the equivalence. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms that include only one, more, or fewer of those elements, fall within the scope and concept of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device (231) applied to a vehicle comprising: a power receiving device (100) supplied with power from a power transmission device (20) provided along the direction of travel of the vehicle; a power storage unit (300) to which the power received by the power receiving device is supplied; a rotating electric machine (320) having a rotor (322) and an armature winding (321) that can transmit power to the drive wheels (12) of the vehicle (11); and an inverter (310) connected to the armature winding, wherein the vehicle control device comprises: a processing unit for controlling the rotating electric machine and the power receiving device; and a parameter calculation unit for calculating parameters relating to the state of the vehicle, the processing unit executes a control process to determine a control mode for at least one of the rotating electric machine and the power receiving device based on the calculated parameters.

2. The control of the rotating electric machine is regenerative drive control, which is switching control of the inverter that converts the AC power generated by the armature winding into DC power and supplies it to the energy storage unit; the processing unit, as the control process, calculates the SOC of the energy storage unit; if it determines that the calculated SOC exceeds the target SOC, it executes a process to limit at least one of the charging of the energy storage unit by the power received by the power receiving device and the charging of the energy storage unit by the regenerative drive control; the parameter calculation unit calculates the mass of the vehicle as the parameter; and in the control process, if the calculated mass is large, the target SOC is set smaller than when the mass is small, as described in claim 1.

3. The control of the rotating electric machine is a motor drive control which is a regenerative drive control or a switching control of the inverter that converts the DC power output from the energy storage unit into AC power and supplies it to the armature winding, the parameter calculation unit calculates an estimated value of the vehicle's mass as a parameter based on the power supplied from the energy storage unit to the inverter and the vehicle's running speed when the motor drive control is performed, and in the control process, if the calculated estimated mass is large, the target SOC is set smaller than when the estimated mass is small, the vehicle control device according to claim 2.

4. The control device for a vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the parameter calculation unit calculates an estimated value of the vehicle's mass as a parameter based on the power supplied from the inverter to the energy storage unit when the regenerative drive control is performed and the vehicle's driving speed, and in the control process, if the calculated estimated value of mass is large, the target SOC is set smaller than when the estimated value of mass is small.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the parameter calculation unit further calculates an estimated value of the mass using at least one of the gradient information of the vehicle's travel path and the information of the vehicle's running resistance.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 3 or 5, wherein when the vehicle is traveling in the power supply lane provided with the power transmission device by the power drive control, the processing unit determines that the calculated SOC exceeds the target SOC, and transmits power from the power storage unit to the power transmission device while the vehicle is traveling in the power supply lane so that the calculated SOC becomes less than or equal to the target SOC.

7. A vehicle control device (231) applied to a vehicle comprising: a power receiving device (100) supplied with power from a power transmission device (20) provided along the direction of vehicle travel; a power storage unit (300) to which the power received by the power receiving device is supplied; a rotating electric machine (320) having a rotor (322) and an armature winding (321) that can transmit power to the drive wheels (12) of the vehicle (11); and an inverter (310) connected to the armature winding, wherein the control device (231) comprises a processing unit that controls the rotating electric machine and the power receiving device, the control of the rotating electric machine is a power drive control which is a switching control of the inverter that converts the DC power output from the power storage unit into AC power and supplies it to the armature winding, and the processing unit calculates the SOC of the power storage unit. A vehicle control device that, when the vehicle is traveling in a power supply lane provided with the power transmission device by the power drive control, determines that the calculated SOC exceeds the target SOC, transmits power from the power storage unit to the power transmission device while the vehicle is traveling in the power supply lane so that the calculated SOC becomes less than or equal to the target SOC.

8. A program applied to a vehicle comprising: a power receiving device (100) supplied with power from a power transmission device (20) provided along the direction of vehicle travel; a power storage unit (300) supplied with power received by the power receiving device; a rotating electric machine (320) having a rotor (322) and an armature winding (321) that can transmit power to the drive wheels (12) of the vehicle (11); and an inverter (310) connected to the armature winding, wherein the program causes at least one of the processor and circuit to execute: a parameter calculation process for calculating parameters relating to the state of the vehicle; and a control process for determining a control mode for at least one of the rotating electric machine and the power receiving device based on the calculated parameters.

9. A control method applied to a vehicle comprising: a power receiving device (100) supplied with power from a power transmission device (20) provided along the direction of vehicle travel; a power storage unit (300) supplied with power received by the power receiving device; a rotating electric machine (320) having a rotor (322) and an armature winding (321) that can transmit power to the drive wheels (12) of the vehicle (11); and an inverter (310) connected to the armature winding, wherein the control method causes at least one of the processor and circuit to perform: a parameter calculation process for calculating parameters relating to the state of the vehicle; and a control process for determining a control mode for at least one of the rotating electric machine and the power receiving device based on the calculated parameters.

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