Non-contact charging system, non-contact charging method, non-contact charging type vehicle, and non-contact charging management apparatus

Abstract

A charging apparatus assigns an area ID, which is information that the charging apparatus uses to determine the presence of a vehicle, to a charging area BS and transmits the assigned area ID. Based on return of the transmitted area ID from the vehicle 200, the charging apparatus establishes pairing, which is a communication connection setting, between the charging apparatus and the vehicle. The charging apparatus then performs electric power management of the electric power transmitted from the charging area BS to the vehicle in a non-contact manner through wireless communication between the paired vehicle and charging apparatus.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A non-contact charging system comprising: 
 a charging target device vehicle having a storage battery; and 
 a charging apparatus charging station having an intercommunication function for intercommunicating with the charging target device vehicle, wherein  
 the system transmitting charging station is configured to transmit electric power to the corresponding charging target device vehicle in a non-contact manner to recharge the storage battery, wherein 
 the charging apparatus assigns an area station is configured to transmit an area ID serving as information for determining a charging area, in which the charging target device vehicle exists, to a charging area, in which transmission of electric power to the charging target device is performed, and transmits the assigned area ID the area ID being assigned to a plurality of charging areas, 
 the charging apparatus identifies the charging area, in which the charging target device as a target of the electric power transmission exists, based on return of vehicle is configured to return the transmitted area ID from the charging target device through the intercommunication function, and 
 the charging apparatus transmits station is configured to control the transmission of the electric power to the charging target device, which exists in the identified charging area, in a non-contact manner vehicle based upon receipt of the transmitted area ID from the vehicle through the intercommunication function. 
 
     
     
       2. The non-contact charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 as a first communication using through the intercommunication function, pairing, as a communication connection setting between the identified charging target device vehicle and the charging apparatus station is performed through based on the transmission of the area ID between the charging apparatus station and the charging target device vehicle through near field communication, and 
 as a second communication through the intercommunication function, electric power control is performed, on the electric power transmitted from the charging area station to the charging target device vehicle in a the non-contact manner, through wireless communication different from the near field communication between the paired charging target device and charging apparatus. 
 
     
     
       3. The non-contact charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the charging apparatus has a plurality of charging areas one of which is said charging area, assigns an area ID to each of the charging areas, and separately transmits the assigned area IDs, and   when the charging target device returns the corresponding one of the transmitted area IDs to the charging apparatus, the charging apparatus identifies the charging area and the charging target device each as the electric power transmission target based on the returned area ID, and transmits the electric power from the identified charging area to the identified charging target device in a non-contact manner.   
     
     
       4. The non-contact charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the charging target device adds a device ID, which is specific information for identifying the charging target device, to the area ID provided by the charging apparatus, and returns the device ID and the area ID to the charging apparatus, and   the charging apparatus identifies the charging target device as the electric power transmission target including accompanying information of the charging target device based on the device ID returned from the charging target device together with the area ID.   
     
     
       5. The non-contact charging system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the device ID includes specification information representing the specifications of the charging target device corresponding to the electric power transmission target, and   the charging apparatus determines the specifications of the charging target device as the electric power transmission target based on the specification information included in the device ID, and sets an electric power corresponding to the determined specifications as an electric power to be transmitted to the charging target device.   
     
     
       6. The non-contact charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the charging apparatus station has a primary coil for electric power transmission in correspondence with the charging area, 
 the charging target device vehicle includes a secondary coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil, and 
 the electric power transmission, from the charging area station to the charging target device vehicle is carried out through electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic field resonance between the primary coil and the secondary coil. 
 
     
     
       7. The non-contact charging system according to  claim 6 , wherein the charging apparatus station transmits the area ID to the charging target device vehicle using electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil, and
 the charging target device guides the user of the charging target device to the charging area based on the intensity of a signal communicated between the primary coil and the secondary coil. 
 
     
     
       8. The non-contact charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the charging target device vehicle is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle including the storage battery serving as an electric power source for an electric motor, and 
 the charging apparatus includes a charging station for transmitting transmits the electric power from the charging area to the storage battery of the electric vehicle or the hybrid vehicle. 
 
     
     
       9. The non-contact charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the charging apparatus further includes a management center, the management center generating the area ID each time when necessary or registers the area ID in a database in advance to remotely manage the area ID with respect to the charging area, and   the area ID is transmitted to the charging target device either directly from the management center or indirectly from the management center via the charging apparatus.   
     
     
       10. A non-contact charging method in which a charging apparatus station having an intercommunication function for intercommunicating with a charging target device vehicle including a storage battery recharges the storage battery by transmitting electric power to the corresponding charging target device vehicle in a non-contact manner, the method comprising: 
 wherein the charging apparatus performs: 
 a. step for assigning an area ID transmitting, from the charging station, an area ID serving as information for determining a charging area, in which the charging target device vehicle exists, to a charging area, in which transmission of electric power to the charging target device is performed, and transmitting the assigned area ID the area ID being assigned to each of a plurality of charging areas; 
 returning, from the vehicle, the transmitted area ID; and 
 controlling, at the charging station, the transmission of the electric power to the vehicle based upon receipt of the transmitted area ID from the vehicle through the intercommunication function  
 b. a step for identifying the charging area, in which the charging target device as a target of the electric power transmission from the charging apparatus exists, based on return of the transmitted area ID from the charging target device through the intercommunication function, and 
 wherein, through the steps, the charging area, in which the charging target device as the electric power transmission target exists, is identified, and the electric power is transmitted to the charging target device, which exists in the identified charging area, in a non-contact manner. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-contact charging method according to  claim 10 , wherein further comprising:
 performing, as a first communication using the intercommunication function, pairing, as communication connection setting between the identified charging target device vehicle and the charging apparatus is performed station based on transmission of the area ID between the charging apparatus station and the charging target device vehicle through near field communication, and 
 performing, as a second communication through the intercommunication function, electric power control is performed, on the electric power transmitted from the charging areastation to the charging target devicevehicle in athe non-contact manner, through wireless communication different from the near field communication between the paired charging target device and charging apparatus. 
 
     
     
       12. The non-contact charging method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the charging apparatus has a plurality of charging areas including said charging area,   in the step for transmitting the area ID, an area ID is assigned to each of the charging areas and transmitted separately, and   in the step for identifying the charging target device, the charging area and the charging target device each as the electric power transmission target for the charging apparatus are identified based on the transmitted area ID returned from the charging target device.   
     
     
       13. The non-contact charging method according to  claim 10 , further including a step in which, when the charging target device is to be identified, the charging target device adds a device ID, which is specific information for identifying the charging target device, to the area ID provided by the charging apparatus and returns the device ID and the area ID to the charging apparatus,
 wherein, in the identification step, the charging apparatus identifies the charging target device as the electric power transmission target, including accompanying information of the charging target device, based on the device ID returned from the charging target device together with the area ID.   
     
     
       14. The non-contact charging method according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the device ID includes specification information representing the specifications of the charging target device corresponding to the electric power transmission target, and   when electric power is transmitted to the identified charging target device, the charging apparatus determines the specifications of the charging target device as the electric power transmission target based on the specification information included in the device ID, and sets an electric power corresponding to the determined specifications as an electric power to be transmitted to the charging target device.   
     
     
       15. The non-contact charging method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the charging apparatus station has a primary coil for electric power transmission in correspondence with the charging area, 
 the charging target device vehicle includes a secondary coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil, and 
 the electric power transmission, from the charging apparatus station to the identified charging target device vehicle is carried out through electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic field resonance between the primary coil and the secondary coil. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-contact charging method according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 in the step for transmitting the area ID, the charging apparatus transmits the area ID to the charging target device using electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil, and 
 the charging target device guides the user of the charging target device to the charging area based on the intensity of a signal communicated between the primary coil and the secondary coil wherein transmitting, from the charging station, the area ID includes transmitting the area ID to the vehicle using electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-contact charging method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the charging target device vehicle is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle including the storage battery serving as an electric power source for an electric motor, and 
 the charging target device includes a charging station for transmitting transmits the electric power from the charging area to the storage battery of the electric vehicle or the hybrid vehicle. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-contact charging method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the charging apparatus includes a management center having a management server, the management server generating the area ID each time when necessary or registers the area ID in a database in advance to perform remote management of the area ID with respect to the charging area, the management center being connected to a network to carry out the remote management, and   in the step for transmitting the area ID, the area ID is transmitted to the charging target device either directly from the management center or indirectly from the management center via the charging apparatus.   
     
     
       19. A non-contact charging type vehicle having an antenna, an electric motor and a storage battery serving as an electric power source for the electric motor, the storage battery being recharged using electric power transmitted from a charging apparatus station in a non-contact manner, the vehicle comprising:
 a coil configured to: 
 wherein the vehicle receives an areareceive a transmitted area ID assigned to a charging area of the charging apparatusstation from the charging apparatusstation as information used for determining a charging area, in which the vehicle exists, transmitted by the charging apparatusstation, wherein 
 the vehicle is configured to return, via the antenna, the transmitted area to determine a charging area, in which the vehicle exists, the vehicle including an in-vehicle communication device for returning the received area ID to the charging apparatus station; and 
 
 the coil configured to receive the electric power transmitted from the charging station in the non-contact matter. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-contact charging type vehicle according to  claim 19 , wherein the in-vehicle communication device is configured by coil functions as:
 a first in-vehicle communication device for near field use, the first in-vehicle communication device receiving the area transmitted ID through wireless communication; and 
 the antenna functions as a second in-vehicle communication device, wherein 
 the second -vehicle side communication device returns the area transmitted area ID received by the first in-vehicle communication device to the charging apparatus station, and communicates electric power control information for recharging with the charging apparatus vehicle through wireless communication for remote use different from the wireless communication for near field use, and  
 the electric power control information being is communicated based on pairing, which is a communication connection setting between the vehicle and the charging apparatus station established by return of the area transmitted area ID. 
 
     
     
       21. The non-contact charging type vehicle according to  claim 19 , wherein, when receiving the area ID, the in-vehicle communication device adds a vehicle ID, which is information specific to the vehicle, to the received area ID and returns the vehicle ID and the area ID to the charging apparatus. 
     
     
       22. A non-contact charging management apparatus station for managing recharging of a storage battery mounted in a charging target device vehicle having an antenna, the recharging being performed through a non-contact transmission of electric power to the charging target device through communication between vehicle from the non-contact charging management apparatus and the charging target device station, the non-contact charging management apparatus comprising station comprising:
 an area ID assigning section for assigning an area ID to a charging area or each of a plurality of charging areas as information used by the non-contact charging management apparatus to determine a charging area, in which the charging target device exists; 
 a charging-side communication section for transmitting each of the area. IDs coil configured to:
 transmit an area assigned by the area ID assigning section to the charging target device vehicle, wherein, when the charging target device returns the transmitted area ID, the charging-side communication section receives the returned area ID; and an electric power transmitting section for identifying the charging area and the charging target device each as the electric power transmission target based on the area ID received by the charging-side communication section, the area ID being assigned to a charging area or ach of a plurality of charging areas as information used to determine a charging area in which the vehicle exists, 
 wherein the charging station is configured to receive the transmitted area ID from the vehicle via the antenna, 
 
 the charging station is configured to control the transmission of the electric power transmitting section transmitting electric power from the identified charging area to the identified charging target device in a vehicle in the non-contact manner based upon receipt of the transmitted area ID from the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       23. The non-contact charging management apparatus station according to  claim 22 , wherein the in-vehicle communicating section is configured by coil functions as:
 a first charging-side communication device for near field use, the first charging-side communication device transmitting the area ID to the charging target device vehicle through the wireless communication; and 
 the antenna functions as a second charging-side communication device, wherein 
 the second charging-side communication device communicates electric power control information for the recharging with the charging target device vehicle through wireless communication for remote use, which is different from wireless communication for near field use, and 
 the electric power control information being is communicated based on pairing, which is a communication connection setting between the charging side target device vehicle and the non-contact charging management apparatus station established at the a time when the charging target device vehicle returns the area ID that has been transmitted by the first charging-side communication device. 
 
     
     
       24. The non-contact charging management apparatus station according to  claim 22 , wherein
 the charging target device vehicle is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle including the storage battery serving as an electric power source for an electric motor, and the area ID assigning section, the charging-side communication section, and the electric power transmitting section are mounted in a charging station for transmitting electric power to the electric vehicle or the hybrid vehicle. 
 
     
     
       25. The non-contact charging management apparatus according to  claim 22 , the non-contact charging management apparatus being configured by:
 a charging apparatus for transmitting the electric power; and   a management center that has a management server and is network-connected to the charging apparatus, the management server generating the area ID each time when necessary or registering the area ID in a database in advance to manage the area ID, wherein   the area ID assigning section and the charging-side communication section are mounted in the management server,   the electric power transmitting section is arranged in the charging apparatus, and the charging-side communication section delivers the area ID either indirectly from the management center to the charging target device via the charging apparatus or directly from the management center to the charging target device.   
     
     
       26. The non-contact charging system according to claim 2, wherein
 the charging station has a primary coil for electric power transmission,   the vehicle includes a secondary coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil, and   the electric power transmission, from the charging station to the vehicle, is carried out through electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic field resonance between the primary coil and the secondary coil, and   the charging device transmits the area ID to the vehicle using electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil.    
     
     
       27. The non-contact charging system according to claim 2, wherein as the second communication through the intercommunication function, the electric power control is performed through wireless communication different from the near field communication between the paired vehicle and charging station.  
     
     
       28. The non-contact charging system according to claim 2, wherein
 the charging station has a primary coil for electric power transmission,   the vehicle includes a secondary coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil, and   the electric power transmission, from the charging station to the vehicle, is carried out through electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic field resonance between the primary coil and the secondary coil, and   the charging station transmits the area ID to the vehicle without using the primary coil and the secondary coil.    
     
     
       29. The non-contact charging system according to claim 1, wherein the area ID is transmitted as a pairing signal.  
     
     
       30. The non-contact charging method according to claim 11, wherein
 the charging station has a primary coil for electric power transmission,   the vehicle includes a secondary coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil, and   the electric power transmission, from the charging station to the vehicle, is carried out through electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic field resonance between the primary coil and the secondary coil, and   transmitting, from the charging apparatus, the area ID includes transmitting the area ID to the vehicle using electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil.    
     
     
       31. The non-contact charging method according to claim 11, wherein performing, as the second communication through the intercommunication function, the electric power control includes performing the electric power control through wireless communication different from the near field communication between the paired vehicle and charging station.  
     
     
       32. The non-contact charging method according to claim 11, wherein
 the charging station has a primary coil for electric power transmission,   the vehicle includes a secondary coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil, and   the electric power transmission, from the charging station to the vehicle, is carried out through electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic field resonance between the primary coil and the secondary coil, and   transmitting, from the charging station, the area ID includes transmitting the area ID to the vehicle without using the primary coil and the secondary coil.    
     
     
       33. The non-contact charging method according to claim 10, wherein the area ID is transmitted as a pairing signal.  
     
     
       34. The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle including the storage battery serving as an electric power source for an electric motor.  
     
     
       35. A non-contact charging system comprising:
 a vehicle having a storage battery; and   a charging station having an intercommunication function for intercommunicating with the vehicle, wherein   the non-contact charging system is configured to transmit electric power to the vehicle in a non-contact manner to recharge the storage battery,   the charging station is configured to transmit a code, including an area ID,   the vehicle is configured to return the transmitted code, and   the charging station is configured to control the transmission of the electric power to the vehicle based upon receipt of the transmitted code from the vehicle through the intercommunication function.    
     
     
       36. The non-contact charging system according to claim 35, wherein the code is transmitted as a pairing signal.