JP7611285B2 - Wireless communication system and wireless power supply system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and a wireless power supply system.

Patent Document 1 relates to an optical wireless device and an optical fiber positioning method, and in particular describes a technique for determining the position of the tip of an optical fiber for an optical wireless device.
[Prior Art Literature]
[Patent Documents]
[Patent Document 1] JP 2022-73629 A

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a wireless communication system is provided. The wireless communication system may perform directional wireless communication. The wireless communication system may include a first device having a first imaging unit and a first wireless communication unit mounted on a first gimbal. The wireless communication system may include a second device having a second imaging unit and a second wireless communication unit mounted on a second gimbal, which is disposed within an object including a boundary member. The wireless communication system may include a marker disposed outside the boundary member. The second imaging unit and the second wireless communication unit may be disposed such that the second imaging unit captures an image of the outer direction of the object through the boundary member, and the second wireless communication unit communicates with the outer direction of the object through the boundary member. The first device may include a first marker detection unit that detects the marker using an image captured by the first imaging unit. The first device may include a first imaging unit detection unit that detects the second imaging unit based on the marker detected by the first marker detection unit. The first device may have a first gimbal control unit that controls the first gimbal so that the imaging direction of the first imaging unit faces the second imaging unit based on the detection result by the first imaging unit detection unit.

In the wireless communication system, the marker may be positioned outside the boundary member and outside the adjustment range of the imaging direction of the second imaging unit that is adjusted by the second gimbal.

In the wireless communication system, the marker may be positioned outside the boundary member and at a position shifted from the closest position of the boundary member to the second imaging unit.

In any of the wireless communication systems, the first imaging unit detection unit may detect the second imaging unit based on a position obtained by converting the center position of the bounding box of the marker detected by the first marker detection unit using a predetermined conversion method based on the positional relationship between the second imaging unit and the marker with the bounding box as a reference.

Any of the wireless communication systems may further include a light absorbing material disposed around the marker.

In any of the wireless communication systems, the marker may be a marker that can identify the second device by at least one of color and shape.

The second device may be disposed within a second object including the boundary member, and the first device may be disposed within a first object including the boundary member, and the wireless communication system may include a first marker disposed outside the boundary member of the first object and a second marker disposed outside the boundary member of the second object, and the second device may have a second marker detection unit that detects the first marker using an image captured by the second imaging unit, a second imaging unit detection unit that detects the first imaging unit based on the first marker detected by the second marker detection unit, and a second gimbal control unit that controls the second gimbal so that the imaging direction of the second imaging unit faces the first imaging unit based on the detection result by the second imaging unit detection unit. The first device may be disposed in a first vehicle, the second device may be disposed in a second vehicle, the first marker may be disposed on a windshield of the first vehicle, and the second marker may be disposed on a rear window of the second vehicle, and the first device and the second device may perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication using the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a wireless power supply system is provided. The wireless power supply system may perform directional wireless power supply. The wireless power supply system may include a first device having a first imaging unit and a wireless power receiving unit mounted on a first gimbal. The wireless power supply system may include a second device having a second imaging unit and a wireless power receiving unit mounted on a second gimbal, which is disposed within an object including a boundary member. The wireless power supply system may include a marker disposed outside the boundary member. The second imaging unit and the wireless power receiving unit may be disposed such that the second imaging unit captures an image of the outside of the object through the boundary member, and the wireless power receiving unit receives power from the outside of the object through the boundary member. The first device may include a first marker detection unit that detects the marker using an image captured by the first imaging unit. The first device may include a first imaging unit detection unit that detects the second imaging unit based on the marker detected by the first marker detection unit. The first device may have a first gimbal control unit that controls the first gimbal so that the imaging direction of the first imaging unit faces the second imaging unit based on the detection result by the first imaging unit detection unit.

Note that the above summary of the invention does not list all of the necessary features of the present invention. Also, subcombinations of these features may also be inventions.

1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication system 1 . 2 shows an example of a positional relationship between the imaging unit 202 and the marker 280. 2 shows an example of an image 120 captured by the imaging section 102. 13 shows another example of the positional relationship between the imaging unit 202 and the marker 280. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between the imaging unit 202 and a marker 280. FIG. An example of a light absorbing material 282 is shown diagrammatically. 2 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of the device 100. 2 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of the device 200. 1 shows an example of a process flow by the device 100. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless power supply system 2. 2 shows an example of a functional configuration of the device 300. 4 shows an example of a functional configuration of the device 400. An example of the hardware configuration of a computer 1200 that functions as the device 100, the device 200, the device 300, or the device 400 is shown in schematic form.

For example, in conventional tracking optical wireless communication, each communication device recognizes the other by image recognition or the like, and automatically adjusts the orientation of the device so that the optical axis is aligned. At this time, by attaching a marker to the tracking target object, it is possible to improve the recognition rate of the target device in image recognition and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). However, when tracking is performed through a member such as window glass, such as between vehicles or between buildings, the marker may not be visible due to the reflection of external light by the member or the difference in brightness between the inside and outside of the member. For example, the wireless communication system according to this embodiment provides a technology that improves the recognition rate of the communication partner in order to realize marker tracking even through window glass such as between vehicles or between buildings. Specifically, in the wireless communication system according to this embodiment, markers are placed directly on a member located on the boundary between the inside and outside of an object, such as window glass, according to a predetermined rule, and the position of the communication partner is identified based on the placed marker, thereby improving the recognition rate of the communication partner.

The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In the following, an example will be described in which window glass is between wireless communication devices, such as between vehicles or buildings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a wireless communication system 1. The wireless communication system 1 performs directional wireless communication. The wireless communication system 1 includes a device 100 and a device 200. The device 100 may be an example of a first device. The device 200 may be an example of a second device.

The device 100 is placed in the object 10. The object 10 includes a boundary member 12. The device 200 is placed in the object 20. The object 20 includes a boundary member 22. The devices 100 and 200 perform directional wireless communication via the boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22. The devices 100 and 200 perform, for example, optical wireless communication. The devices 100 and 200 perform, for example, millimeter wave wireless communication.

The boundary members 12 and 22 may be any members that do not block directional wireless communication between the devices 100 and 200. The boundary members 12 and 22 may be members that transmit part of the incident light or wave and reflect part of it. The boundary members 12 and 22 are, for example, window glass. The boundary members 12 and 22 are, for example, acrylic plates. The boundary members 12 and 22 are, for example, plastic plates. These are examples, and the boundary members 12 and 22 may be other members that do not block directional wireless communication.

The object 10 and the object 20 are, for example, vehicles such as an automobile and a bus. The types of vehicles are not limited to these. The device 100 arranged in the object 10 and the device 200 arranged in the object 20 may perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication. As a specific example, the boundary member 12 of the object 10 may be a windshield, and the boundary member 22 of the object 20 may be a rear glass. In this case, when the object 20 is located in front of the object 10, the device 100 and the device 200 perform wireless communication via the boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22.

Two devices 100 may be arranged on the object 10. For example, a device 100 may be arranged on each of the rear window side and the windshield side of the object 10. Two devices 200 may also be arranged on the object 20. For example, a device 200 may be arranged on each of the rear window side and the windshield side of the object 20.

The object 10 and the object 20 may be a building such as a building. In this case, the boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22 may be windows of the building. The boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22 may be window glass, or may be an acrylic or plastic plate. The object 10 and the object 20 may be any object that includes the boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22, respectively. The object 10 and the object 20 may be different types of objects. For example, the object 10 may be a vehicle, and the object 20 may be a building.

The device 100 has an imaging unit 102, a wireless communication unit 104, and a gimbal 106. The imaging unit 102 may be an example of a first imaging unit. The wireless communication unit 104 may be an example of a first wireless communication unit. The gimbal 106 may be an example of a first gimbal.

The imaging unit 102 and the wireless communication unit 104 are mounted on the gimbal 106. The imaging unit 102 and the wireless communication unit 104 are installed on the gimbal 106 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 102 and the wireless communication direction of the wireless communication unit 104 coincide. The orientations of both the imaging unit 102 and the wireless communication unit 104 are adjusted by the gimbal 106. The imaging unit 102 and the wireless communication unit 104 are arranged so that the imaging unit 102 images the outside direction of the object 10 via the boundary member 12, and the wireless communication unit 104 communicates with the outside direction of the object 10 via the boundary member 12.

The device 200 has an imaging unit 202, a wireless communication unit 204, and a gimbal 206. The imaging unit 202 may be an example of a second imaging unit. The wireless communication unit 204 may be an example of a second wireless communication unit. The gimbal 206 may be an example of a second gimbal.

The imaging unit 202 and the wireless communication unit 204 are mounted on the gimbal 206. The imaging unit 202 and the wireless communication unit 204 are installed on the gimbal 206 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 202 and the wireless communication direction of the wireless communication unit 204 coincide. The orientations of both the imaging unit 202 and the wireless communication unit 204 are adjusted by the gimbal 206. The imaging unit 202 and the wireless communication unit 204 are arranged so that the imaging unit 202 images the outward direction of the object 20 via the boundary member 22, and the wireless communication unit 204 communicates with the outward direction of the object 20 via the boundary member 22.

The imaging unit 102 and the wireless communication unit 104, and the imaging unit 202 and the wireless communication unit 204 are arranged so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 102 and the imaging direction of the imaging unit 202 coincide with each other, and thus the communication direction of the wireless communication unit 104 and the communication direction of the wireless communication unit 204 coincide with each other.

In this embodiment, the marker 180 is placed outside the boundary member 12, not on the imaging unit 102. The marker 180 is placed at a position corresponding to the imaging unit 102. The marker 180 is placed at a position according to a predetermined rule with respect to the imaging unit 102. This makes it possible to detect the position of the imaging unit 102 from the position of the marker 180.

For example, the marker 180 is placed in front of the imaging unit 102. For example, the marker 180 is placed at a position slightly offset from the front of the imaging unit 102. For example, the marker 180 is placed outside the adjustment range of the imaging direction of the imaging unit 102 that is adjusted by the gimbal 106.

The marker 180 is, for example, a sticker that is attached to the outside of the boundary member 12. The marker 180 may be attached to the boundary member 12 by any method, not limited to by attachment. The material of the marker 180 may be a reflective material.

Marker 280, like marker 180, is positioned outside boundary member 22. The material of marker 280 may be a reflective material.

The device 100 detects the marker 280 from the captured image captured by the imaging unit 102. The device 100 detects the imaging unit 202 based on the detected marker 280. The device 100 controls the gimbal 106 based on the detection result of the imaging unit 202 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 102 faces the imaging unit 202. This allows the communication direction of the wireless communication unit 104 to be aligned with the wireless communication unit 204. When the marker 280 is placed on the imaging unit 202 as in the past, there are cases where the marker 280 cannot be identified due to reflection of external light by the boundary member 22 or the difference in brightness inside and outside the boundary member 22. In contrast, in the wireless communication system 1 according to this embodiment, the marker 280 is placed outside the boundary member 22 at a position relative to the imaging unit 202 that follows a predetermined rule, and the device 100 is configured to detect the imaging unit 202 from the marker 280 based on the rule, thereby improving the recognition rate of the imaging unit 202, and as a result, the wireless communication between the device 100 and the device 200 can be stabilized.

As with device 100, device 200 detects marker 180 from an image captured by imaging unit 202. Device 200 detects imaging unit 102 based on the detected marker 180. Device 200 controls gimbal 206 based on the detection result of imaging unit 102 so that the imaging direction of imaging unit 202 faces imaging unit 102. In this way, by performing adjustments using markers 180 and 280 in both devices 100 and 200, the orientations of wireless communication unit 104 and wireless communication unit 204 can be aligned with higher accuracy.

2 shows an example of a schematic positional relationship between the imaging unit 202 and the marker 280. The following mainly describes the marker 280, but the marker 180 may be similar to the marker 280. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the marker 280 is arranged so that the center of the marker 280 is located at the center of the lens of the imaging unit 202 when viewed from the front side of the imaging unit 202. By arranging as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to detect the center of the lens of the imaging unit 202 by detecting the marker 280 and identifying the center position of the marker 280. The marker 180 may be arranged in a positional relationship between the imaging unit 102 and the marker 180, which is similar to the positional relationship between the imaging unit 202 and the marker 280.

The marker 280 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and the marker 280 may have any shape. Since it is required that the position of the marker 280 can be accurately grasped, it is desirable for the marker 280 to have a distinctive shape. If the shape is too complex, it may be difficult for the imaging unit to recognize it, so a relatively simple shape is desirable. A color that is easily distinguishable from the surroundings may be adopted as the color of the marker 280. The size of the marker 280 may be determined taking into consideration the ease of recognition by the imaging unit and the adverse effects of placing the marker 280 on a boundary member. For example, when the marker 280 is placed on the front or rear windshield of a vehicle, a size that is easy for the imaging unit to recognize is selected, as long as it does not interfere with driving, etc.

The marker 280 may be a marker that can identify the device 200 by at least one of its color and shape. That is, multiple markers installed on multiple devices may be distinguishable by differences in color and shape. This allows the marker to have both a function of making the imaging unit easier to detect and a function of making the device identifiable, thereby increasing its usefulness.

The number of markers 280 arranged on the imaging unit 202 is not limited to one, and multiple markers 280 may be arranged. When multiple markers 280 are arranged, for example, when the object 10 and the object 20 are vehicles and the lateral positional relationship is shifted, the amount of shift can be identified. Furthermore, compared to the case where only one marker 280 is arranged, by arranging multiple markers 280, it is possible to reduce false detection of the marker 280.

Figure 3 shows an example of an image 120 captured by the imaging unit 102. The device 100 detects a marker 280 from the captured image 120. The device 100 identifies the marker center 124 of the marker 280 in the captured image 120. The device 100 controls the gimbal 106 so that the image center 122 of the captured image 120 overlaps with the marker center 124. This causes the imaging direction of the imaging unit 102 to face the imaging unit 202, and as a result, the communication direction of the wireless communication unit 104 to face the wireless communication unit 204.

Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of another example of the positional relationship between the imaging unit 202 and the marker 280. In the example shown in Figure 4, the marker 280 is positioned so that the center of the lens of the imaging unit 202 is located at the center of a box (sometimes referred to as a mirror bounding box 132) that is mirror-transformed based on the sides of the bounding box 130 of the marker 280.

When the marker 280 is located at the position illustrated in FIG. 4, the device 100 detects the marker 280 from the image captured by the imaging unit 102, identifies the bounding box 130, and identifies the marker center 124. The device 100 identifies the mirror bounding box 132 that is mirror-transformed based on the bottom side of the bounding box 130, and identifies the center of the imaging unit 202.

The positional relationship in FIG. 4 is an example, and the marker 280 may be placed in any positional relationship as long as the position of the image capturing unit 202 can be identified from the position of the marker 280. For example, the marker 280 may be placed so that the center of the lens of the image capturing unit 202 is located at the center of a box obtained by mirror transformation based on the top side, left side, or right side of the bounding box 130 of the marker 280. The marker 280 may be placed in a positional relationship that allows the position of the image capturing unit 202 to be identified by a method other than mirror transformation.

The marker 280 may be positioned outside the boundary member 22 at a position on the boundary member 22 that is offset from the position closest to the imaging unit 202. In particular, the marker 280 may be positioned outside the adjustment range of the imaging direction of the imaging unit 202 that is adjusted by the gimbal 206. In this way, even if the marker 280 is positioned at a position offset from the imaging unit 202, the position of the imaging unit 202 can be identified from the marker 280 as long as the device 100 understands according to what rule the marker 280 is positioned.

If the marker 280 were located within the adjustment range of the imaging direction of the imaging unit 202, which is adjusted by the gimbal 206, the marker 280 would block the field of view of the imaging unit 202 when the imaging unit 202 faces an oblique direction, as illustrated in FIG. 5. In contrast, by positioning the marker 280 outside the adjustment range of the imaging direction of the imaging unit 202, which is adjusted by the gimbal 206, it is possible to prevent the marker 280 from blocking the field of view of the imaging unit 202.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an example of the light absorbing material 282. The wireless communication system 1 may further include a light absorbing material 282 arranged around the marker 280, as shown in FIG. 6. The light absorbing material 282 can suppress blown-out highlights of the marker 280 caused by external light, and can improve the visibility of the marker 280. The wireless communication system 1 may further include a light absorbing material (not shown) arranged around the marker 180.

Figure 7 shows an example of a schematic functional configuration of the device 100. The device 100 includes an imaging unit 102, a wireless communication unit 104, a gimbal 106, a marker detection unit 110, an imaging unit detection unit 112, a gimbal control unit 114, and a communication control unit 116. Here, the following mainly describes an example in which the device 100 is placed inside an object 10 and the communication partner is a device 200 placed inside an object 20.

The marker detection unit 110 detects the marker 280 of the communication partner from the captured image captured by the imaging unit 102.

The imaging unit detection unit 112 detects the imaging unit 202 based on the marker 280 detected by the marker detection unit 110. For example, the imaging unit detection unit 112 detects the imaging unit 202 based on a position obtained by converting the center position of the bounding box of the marker 280 detected by the marker detection unit 110 using a predetermined conversion method based on the positional relationship between the imaging unit 202 and the marker 280 with the bounding box as a reference.

The gimbal control unit 114 controls the gimbal 106 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 102 faces the imaging unit 202 based on the detection result by the imaging unit detection unit 112.

The communication control unit 116 controls communication by the wireless communication unit 104. The communication control unit 116 may start wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 104 in response to the imaging direction of the imaging unit 102 being directed toward the imaging unit 202 as a result of control of the gimbal 106 by the gimbal control unit 114.

When the marker 280 is a marker that can identify the device 200 by at least one of color and shape, the marker detection unit 110 may identify the device 200 by analyzing the marker 280. For example, when the analysis result of the marker 280 by the marker detection unit 110 is the device 200, the imaging unit detection unit 112 executes detection of the imaging unit 202 using the marker 280. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous detection of the imaging unit of the other device when, for example, the imaging range of the imaging unit 102 includes the marker 280 of the device 200 and a marker of another device.

Figure 8 shows an example of the functional configuration of the device 200. The device 200 includes an imaging unit 202, a wireless communication unit 204, a gimbal 206, a marker detection unit 210, an imaging unit detection unit 212, a gimbal control unit 214, and a communication control unit 216.

The marker detection unit 210, like the marker detection unit 110, detects the marker 180 of the communication partner from the captured image captured by the imaging unit 202. The imaging unit detection unit 212, like the imaging unit detection unit 112, detects the imaging unit 102 based on the marker 180 detected by the marker detection unit 210. The gimbal control unit 214, like the gimbal control unit 114, controls the gimbal 206 based on the detection result by the imaging unit detection unit 212 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 202 faces the imaging unit 102. The communication control unit 216, like the communication control unit 116, controls communication by the wireless communication unit 204.

Figure 9 shows an example of a processing flow by device 100. Here, the processing from when communication device 100 and communication device 200 are not performing wireless communication to when they start wireless communication will be described. It is assumed that each of imaging unit 102 and imaging unit 202 performs imaging continuously, periodically, or irregularly. Also, here, for example, the processing contents on the device 100 side in wireless communication between device 100 and device 200 will be described.

In step (sometimes abbreviated to S) 102, the imaging unit 102 captures an image of the outward direction of the object 10 through the boundary member 12. In S104, the marker detection unit 110 executes a process of detecting the marker 280 using the image captured by the imaging unit 102. If the marker is detected (YES in S104), the process proceeds to S106, and if the marker 280 is not detected (NO in S104), the process returns to S102.

In S106, the imaging unit detection unit 112 detects the imaging unit 202 based on the marker 280. In S108, the gimbal control unit 114 controls the gimbal 106 based on the detection result in S106. The gimbal control unit 114 controls the gimbal 106 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 102 faces the imaging unit 202.

In S110, in response to the end of the control of the gimbal 106 in S108, the communication control unit 116 starts wireless communication using the wireless communication unit 104 and the wireless communication unit 204.

After starting wireless communication, the device 100 and the device 200 may continue to adjust with each other. The device 100 and the device 200 may alternately perform adjustment by transmitting notification data to each other. For example, the device 100 first controls the gimbal 106, and transmits notification data to the device 200 after completing the control. The device 200 does not control the gimbal 106 until it receives the notification data. Having received the notification data, the device 200 controls the gimbal 206. After the adjustment, the device 200 transmits the notification data to the device 100.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a wireless power supply system 2. The wireless power supply system 2 performs directional wireless power supply. The wireless power supply system 2 includes an apparatus 300 and an apparatus 400. The apparatus 300 may be an example of a first apparatus. The apparatus 400 may be an example of a second apparatus.

The device 300 is placed in the object 10. The object 10 includes a boundary member 12. The device 400 is placed in the object 20. The object 20 includes a boundary member 22. The device 300 and the device 400 perform directional wireless power supply via the boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22. The boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22 may be any member as long as they do not block directional wireless power supply between the device 100 and the device 200. The boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22 may be a member that transmits a part of the incident light or incident wave and reflects a part of it. The boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22 are, for example, window glass. The boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22 are, for example, an acrylic plate. The boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22 are, for example, a plastic plate. These are examples, and the boundary member 12 and the boundary member 22 may be other members that do not block directional wireless power supply.

Two devices 300 may be arranged on the object 10. For example, a device 300 may be arranged on each of the rear window side and the windshield side of the object 10. Two devices 400 may also be arranged on the object 20. For example, a device 400 may be arranged on each of the rear window side and the windshield side of the object 20.

The device 300 has an imaging unit 302, a wireless power receiving unit 304, and a gimbal 306. The imaging unit 302 may be an example of a first imaging unit. The wireless power receiving unit 304 performs wireless power reception. In this embodiment, the description of power reception indicates that at least one of power reception and power supply can be performed. That is, the wireless power receiving unit 304 may be capable of wireless power supply and wireless power reception, may be capable of only wireless power supply, or may be capable of only wireless power reception. If the wireless power receiving unit 304 is capable of only wireless power supply, the wireless power receiving unit 404 may be capable of wireless power reception. If the wireless power receiving unit 304 is capable of only wireless power reception, the wireless power receiving unit 404 may be capable of wireless power supply. The wireless power receiving unit 304 may be an example of a second wireless power receiving unit. The gimbal 306 may be an example of a first gimbal.

The imaging unit 302 and the wireless power receiving unit 304 are mounted on the gimbal 306. The imaging unit 302 and the wireless power receiving unit 304 are installed on the gimbal 306 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 302 coincides with the wireless power receiving direction of the wireless power receiving unit 304. The orientations of both the imaging unit 302 and the wireless power receiving unit 304 are adjusted by the gimbal 306. The imaging unit 302 and the wireless power receiving unit 304 are arranged so that the imaging unit 302 captures an image of the outside of the object 10 via the boundary member 12, and the wireless power receiving unit 304 receives power from the outside of the object 10 via the boundary member 12.

The device 400 has an imaging unit 402, a wireless power receiving unit 404, and a gimbal 406. The imaging unit 402 may be an example of a second imaging unit. The wireless power receiving unit 404 may be an example of a second wireless power receiving unit. The gimbal 406 may be an example of a second gimbal.

The imaging unit 402 and the wireless power receiving unit 404 are mounted on the gimbal 406. The imaging unit 402 and the wireless power receiving unit 404 are installed on the gimbal 406 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 402 coincides with the wireless power receiving direction of the wireless power receiving unit 404. The orientations of both the imaging unit 402 and the wireless power receiving unit 404 are adjusted by the gimbal 406. The imaging unit 402 and the wireless power receiving unit 404 are arranged so that the imaging unit 402 captures an image of the outside of the object 20 via the boundary member 22, and the wireless power receiving unit 404 receives power from the outside of the object 20 via the boundary member 22.

The imaging unit 302 and the wireless power receiving unit 304, and the imaging unit 402 and the wireless power receiving unit 404 are arranged so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 302 coincides with the imaging direction of the imaging unit 402, and thus the power receiving direction of the wireless power receiving unit 304 coincides with the power receiving direction of the wireless power receiving unit 404.

In this embodiment, the marker 380 is placed on the outside of the boundary member 12, not on the imaging unit 302. The marker 380 may be the same as the marker 280. The marker 380 is placed at a position corresponding to the imaging unit 302. The marker 380 is placed at a position according to a predetermined rule with respect to the imaging unit 402. This makes it possible to detect the position of the imaging unit 302 from the position of the marker 380. For example, the marker 380 is placed in front of the imaging unit 302. For example, the marker 380 is placed at a position slightly shifted from the front of the imaging unit 302. For example, the marker 380 is placed outside the adjustment range of the imaging direction of the imaging unit 302 adjusted by the gimbal 306. The marker 380 is, for example, a sticker, and is attached to the outside of the boundary member 12. The installation of the marker 380 on the boundary member 12 is not limited to pasting, and may be installed by any method. The material of the marker 380 may be a reflective material. Marker 480, like marker 380, is positioned outside boundary member 22. The material of marker 480 may be a reflective material.

The device 300 detects the marker 480 from the captured image captured by the imaging unit 302. The marker 480 may be similar to the marker 280. The device 300 detects the imaging unit 402 based on the detected marker 480. The device 300 controls the gimbal 306 based on the detection result of the imaging unit 402 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 302 faces the imaging unit 402. This allows the power receiving direction of the wireless power supply unit 304 to be aligned with the wireless power supply unit 404.

Similar to device 300, device 400 detects marker 380 from an image captured by imaging unit 402. Device 400 detects imaging unit 302 based on the detected marker 380. Device 400 controls gimbal 406 based on the detection result of imaging unit 302 so that the imaging direction of imaging unit 402 faces imaging unit 302.

Figure 11 shows an example of the functional configuration of device 300. Device 300 includes an imaging unit 302, a wireless power supply/reception unit 304, a gimbal 306, a marker detection unit 310, an imaging unit detection unit 312, a gimbal control unit 314, and a power supply/reception control unit 316. Here, the main example will be described in which device 300 is placed inside object 10 and the power receiving partner is device 400 placed inside object 20.

The marker detection unit 310, like the marker detection unit 110, detects the marker 480 of the power supply partner from the captured image captured by the imaging unit 302. The imaging unit detection unit 312, like the imaging unit detection unit 112, detects the imaging unit 402 based on the marker 480 detected by the marker detection unit 310. The gimbal control unit 314, like the gimbal control unit 114, controls the gimbal 306 based on the detection result by the imaging unit detection unit 312 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 302 faces the imaging unit 402.

The power supply/reception control unit 316 controls the power supply by the wireless power supply/reception unit 304. The power supply/reception control unit 316 may start wireless power supply by the wireless power supply/reception unit 304 when the imaging direction of the imaging unit 302 faces the imaging unit 402 due to control of the gimbal 306 by the gimbal control unit 314.

Figure 12 shows an example of the functional configuration of the device 400. The device 400 includes an image capture unit 402, a wireless power supply/reception unit 404, a gimbal 406, a marker detection unit 410, an image capture unit detection unit 412, a gimbal control unit 414, and a power supply/reception control unit 416.

The marker detection unit 410, like the marker detection unit 310, detects the marker 380 of the power supply partner from the captured image captured by the imaging unit 402. The imaging unit detection unit 412, like the imaging unit detection unit 312, detects the imaging unit 302 based on the marker 380 detected by the marker detection unit 410. The gimbal control unit 414, like the gimbal control unit 314, controls the gimbal 406 based on the detection result by the imaging unit detection unit 412 so that the imaging direction of the imaging unit 402 faces the imaging unit 302. The power supply control unit 416, like the power supply control unit 316, controls the power supply by the wireless power supply control unit 404.

Figure 13 shows an example of a hardware configuration of a computer 1200 functioning as the device 100, device 200, device 300, or device 400. The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, a RAM 1214, and a graphics controller 1216, which are connected to each other by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input/output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224, a DVD drive, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via the input/output controller 1220. The DVD drive may be a DVD-ROM drive, a DVD-RAM drive, or the like. The storage device 1224 may be a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, or the like. The computer 1200 also includes a legacy input/output unit such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard, which are connected to the input/output controller 1220 via an input/output chip 1240.

The CPU 1212 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 1230 and the RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 1216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 1212 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 1214 or into itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 1218.

The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The DVD drive reads programs or data from a DVD-ROM or the like and provides them to the storage device 1224. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and/or writes programs and data to an IC card.

ROM 1230 stores therein a boot program or the like executed by computer 1200 upon activation, and/or a program that depends on the hardware of computer 1200. I/O chip 1240 may also connect various I/O units to I/O controller 1220 via USB ports, parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, etc.

The programs are provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable storage medium, installed in storage device 1224, RAM 1214, or ROM 1230, which are also examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by CPU 1212. The information processing described in these programs is read by computer 1200, and brings about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be constructed by realizing the operation or processing of information according to the use of computer 1200.

For example, when communication is performed between computer 1200 and an external device, CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 1214 and instruct communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of CPU 1212, communication interface 1222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in RAM 1214, storage device 1224, a DVD-ROM, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer area or the like provided on the recording medium.

The CPU 1212 may also cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as the storage device 1224, a DVD drive (DVD-ROM), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 1214, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may then write back the processed data to the external recording medium.

Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored in the recording medium and may undergo information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search/replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequence of the program, and writes back the results to the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. in the recording medium. For example, when a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 1212 may search for an entry whose attribute value of the first attribute matches a specified condition from among the plurality of entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

The above-described program or software module may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on the computer 1200 or in the vicinity of the computer 1200. In addition, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the program to the computer 1200 via the network.

The blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams in this embodiment may represent stages of a process in which an operation is performed or "parts" of a device responsible for performing the operation. Particular stages and "parts" may be implemented by dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and/or a processor provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuitry may include digital and/or analog hardware circuits and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and/or discrete circuits. The programmable circuitry may include reconfigurable hardware circuits including AND, OR, XOR, NAND, NOR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, and memory elements, such as, for example, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and programmable logic arrays (PLAs).

A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions that are executed by a suitable device, such that a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions that can be executed to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, and the like. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memories (ROMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs or flash memories), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), static random access memories (SRAMs), compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROMs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), Blu-ray disks, memory sticks, integrated circuit cards, and the like.

The computer readable instructions may include either assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages such as Smalltalk (registered trademark), JAVA (registered trademark), C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

The computer-readable instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, or a programmable circuit, either locally or over a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet, so that the processor of the general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, or the programmable circuit, executes the computer-readable instructions to generate means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

The present invention has been described above using an embodiment, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiment. It is clear from the claims that forms with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before" or "prior to," and it should be noted that the processes may be performed in any order, unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is explained using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is necessary to perform the processes in that order.

1 Wireless communication system, 10 Object, 12 Boundary member, 20 Object, 22 Boundary member, 100 Device, 102 Imaging unit, 104 Wireless communication unit, 106 Gimbal, 110 Marker detection unit, 112 Imaging unit detection unit, 114 Gimbal control unit, 116 Communication control unit, 120 Captured image, 122 Image center, 124 Marker center, 130 Bounding box, 132 Mirror bounding box, 180 Marker, 200 Device, 202 Imaging unit, 204 Wireless communication unit, 206 Gimbal, 210 Marker detection unit, 212 Imaging unit detection unit, 214 Gimbal control unit, 216 Communication control unit, 280 Marker, 282 Light absorbing material, 300 Device, 302 Imaging unit, 304 Wireless power supply unit, 306 Gimbal, 310 Marker detection unit, 312 Imaging unit detection unit, 314 Gimbal control unit, 316 Power supply control unit, 380 Marker, 400 Device, 402 Imaging unit, 404 Wireless power supply unit, 406 Gimbal, 410 Marker detection unit, 412 Imaging unit detection unit, 414 Gimbal control unit, 416 Power supply control unit, 480 Marker, 1200 Computer, 1210 Host controller, 1212 CPU, 1214 RAM, 1216 Graphic controller, 1218 Display device, 1220 Input/output controller, 1222 Communication interface, 1224 Storage device, 1230 ROM, 1240 Input/output chip

Claims (9)

A wireless communication system that performs directional wireless communication,
a first device having a first imaging unit and a first wireless communication unit mounted on a first gimbal;
a second device having a second imaging unit and a second wireless communication unit mounted on a second gimbal, the second device being disposed within an object including a boundary member;
a marker disposed outside the boundary member;
the second imaging unit and the second wireless communication unit are arranged such that the second imaging unit captures an image of an outer side of the object through the boundary member, and the second wireless communication unit communicates with the outer side of the object through the boundary member;
The first device is
a first marker detection unit that detects the marker from an image captured by the first imaging unit;
a first imaging unit detection unit that detects the second imaging unit based on the marker detected by the first marker detection unit;
a first gimbal control unit that controls the first gimbal based on a detection result by the first imaging unit detection unit so that an imaging direction of the first imaging unit faces the second imaging unit. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the marker is positioned outside the boundary member and outside the adjustment range of the imaging direction of the second imaging unit that is adjusted by the second gimbal. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the marker is disposed outside the boundary member and at a position shifted from a position on the boundary member that is closest to the second imaging unit. The wireless communication system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first imaging unit detection unit detects the second imaging unit based on a position obtained by converting the center position of the bounding box of the marker detected by the first marker detection unit using a predetermined conversion method based on the positional relationship between the second imaging unit and the marker with the bounding box as a reference. The wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a light absorbing material disposed around the marker. The wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the marker is a marker that can identify the second device by at least one of color and shape. the second device is disposed within a second object that includes the boundary member;
the first device is disposed within a first object that includes a boundary member;
The wireless communication system includes:
a first marker disposed outside the boundary member of the first object;
a second marker disposed outside the boundary member of the second object,
The second device is
a second marker detection unit that detects the first marker from an image captured by the second imaging unit;
a second imaging unit detection unit that detects the first imaging unit based on the first marker detected by the second marker detection unit;
and a second gimbal control unit that controls the second gimbal based on a detection result by the second imaging unit detection unit so that an imaging direction of the second imaging unit faces the first imaging unit. the first device is located in a first vehicle;
the second device is located in a second vehicle;
the first marker is disposed on a windshield of the first vehicle;
the second marker is disposed on a rear window of the second vehicle;
The wireless communication system according to claim 7 , wherein the first device and the second device perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication using the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit. A wireless power feeding system that performs directional wireless power feeding,
a first device having a first imaging unit and a first wireless power supply/reception unit mounted on a first gimbal;
a second device having a second imaging unit and a second wireless power supply unit mounted on a second gimbal, the second device being disposed within an object including a boundary member;
a marker disposed outside the boundary member;
the second imaging unit and the second wireless power receiving unit are arranged such that the second imaging unit captures an image of the outside of the object through the boundary member and the second wireless power receiving unit receives power from the outside of the object through the boundary member;
The first device is
a first marker detection unit that detects the marker from an image captured by the first imaging unit;
a first imaging unit detection unit that detects the second imaging unit based on the marker detected by the first marker detection unit;
a first gimbal control unit that controls the first gimbal based on a detection result by the first imaging unit detection unit so that an imaging direction of the first imaging unit is oriented toward the second imaging unit.

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