A chargeability presenting method which includes before start of transmitting first electric power to an electric vehicle, wirelessly supplying second electric power to a charging space, detecting whether heat is generated by a foreign object in the charging space after the second electric power is transmitted, and before start of transmitting the first electric power, presenting chargeability information that is generated based on vehicle presence information and foreign object information, the vehicle presence information indicating whether the charging space is vacant, and the foreign object information indicating whether the heat is detected in the charging space.

A chargeability presenting method which includes before start of transmitting first electric power to an electric vehicle, wirelessly supplying second electric power to a charging space, detecting whether heat is generated by a foreign object in the charging space after the second electric power is transmitted, and before start of transmitting the first electric power, presenting chargeability information that is generated based on vehicle presence information and foreign object information, the vehicle presence information indicating whether the charging space is vacant, and the foreign object information indicating whether the heat is detected in the charging space.

A vehicle controller includes a processing unit which creates a power-supply plan that ensures a first amount of electric power needed for the vehicle to arrive at the destination from the current location along a travel route. The travel route includes a specified section on which wireless power-supply equipment, among a plurality of power-supply equipment, is disposed. Using weather information including the specified section, the processing unit creates the power-supply plan in which a ratio of a second amount of electric power, which is supplied from the at least one wireless power-supply equipment to the vehicle, to the first amount of electric power is less in a first case in which deposition is determined to be present on the specified section than in a second case in which deposition is determined to be not present on the at least one specified section.

A vehicle controller includes a processing unit which creates a power-supply plan that ensures a first amount of electric power needed for the vehicle to arrive at the destination from the current location along a travel route. The travel route includes a specified section on which wireless power-supply equipment, among a plurality of power-supply equipment, is disposed. Using weather information including the specified section, the processing unit creates the power-supply plan in which a ratio of a second amount of electric power, which is supplied from the at least one wireless power-supply equipment to the vehicle, to the first amount of electric power is less in a first case in which deposition is determined to be present on the specified section than in a second case in which deposition is determined to be not present on the at least one specified section.

An apparatus and method of determining relative position of a ground coil and a vehicle coil, enabling an electric vehicle to be guided to a position at which energy is transferable between the ground and vehicle coils. Position signaling devices are mountable relative to the ground and vehicle coils. At least one signaling device is associated with one of the coils and two or more signaling devices are associated with the other of the coils. Each signaling device is able to transmit or receive, or transmit and receive positioning signals for or from other ones of the signaling devices. The positioning signals are processed to obtain time-related information. The time-related information is obtained using at least two positioning protocols from a set of protocols. This enables determination of distances between the signaling devices and thus the relative position of the ground and vehicle coils.

An apparatus and method of determining relative position of a ground coil and a vehicle coil, enabling an electric vehicle to be guided to a position at which energy is transferable between the ground and vehicle coils. Position signaling devices are mountable relative to the ground and vehicle coils. At least one signaling device is associated with one of the coils and two or more signaling devices are associated with the other of the coils. Each signaling device is able to transmit or receive, or transmit and receive positioning signals for or from other ones of the signaling devices. The positioning signals are processed to obtain time-related information. The time-related information is obtained using at least two positioning protocols from a set of protocols. This enables determination of distances between the signaling devices and thus the relative position of the ground and vehicle coils.

Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a method for authorizing a charging process at a charging point. The method may include: establishing a near field interface between an authentication means and the charging point; transmitting a user identification signed using a signature key via the near field interface and authenticating by checking the signed user identification; reconciling a plurality of condition data sets retained in a memory area of the authentication means with a plurality of condition data sets retained in a memory area of the charging point, wherein an item of version information is assigned to one of the condition data sets and a first condition data set is replaced by a second condition data set by the reconciliation in consideration of a comparison of the respective version information; and authorizing the charging process by evaluating one of the condition data sets.

Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a method for authorizing a charging process at a charging point. The method may include: establishing a near field interface between an authentication means and the charging point; transmitting a user identification signed using a signature key via the near field interface and authenticating by checking the signed user identification; reconciling a plurality of condition data sets retained in a memory area of the authentication means with a plurality of condition data sets retained in a memory area of the charging point, wherein an item of version information is assigned to one of the condition data sets and a first condition data set is replaced by a second condition data set by the reconciliation in consideration of a comparison of the respective version information; and authorizing the charging process by evaluating one of the condition data sets.

A parking assist apparatus includes: a wireless communication device capable of wireless communication to and from a wireless power supply device; a power receiving unit which receives transmission of power from a power transmission unit in a non-contact manner; and a vehicle control ECU which acquires information indicating a manufacturer of the wireless power supply device from the wireless power supply device by the wireless communication, identifies a position of the power transmission unit from feature information corresponding to the manufacturer indicated by the acquired information and an image of a periphery of a vehicle, sets a position of a target parking area so that a position of the power receiving unit matches the position of the power transmission unit, and automatically moves the vehicle to the set target parking area.

In one or more embodiments described herein, devices, systems, methods and/or apparatuses are described that can facilitate locational awareness and/or guidance of an inductive charging element relative to a target charging station. A device can comprise an inductive charging element, a signal component located relative to the inductive charging element for common movement with the inducting charging element, wherein the signal component transmits or receives a signal from a target position, and a controller that determines a distance between the inductive charging element and the target position based on a time measurement of the signal. The time measurement can include a time of arrival measurement and/or a time of flight measurement. The signal component can be an ultrawideband antenna, laser doppler device, acoustic device, electromagnetic device and/or other transmitter and/or receiver.