Wireless charging of a vehicle power source

• US 10,005,367 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Seung, Iwai, Atsushi, Schmalenberg, Paul Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHARIEF, MOHAMMED JAMEEL
• Application Number:
  US14/813,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20170028854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Arrangements directed to the wireless charging of a vehicle are described. A battery of a vehicle can be charged while the vehicle is traveling on a roadway. A driving environment of the vehicle can be sensed to detect a charging marker. The charging marker can provide information relating to a location of a charge transmitter located below a travel surface of the roadway. The charge transmitter can be located forward of the vehicle in the travel direction of the roadway. The location of the charge transmitter can be determined based on information obtained from the charging marker. A travel path for the vehicle can be determined based at least partially on the location of the charge transmitter so that the charge receiver is positioned in substantial charging alignment with the charge transmitter as the vehicle passes over the charge transmitters.

Claims

1. A charging system for a vehicle comprising:

a charge receiver;

a sensor configured to sense a driving environment of the vehicle to detect;

a plurality of lane markers extending along a roadway, the plurality of lane markers defining a lane boundary;

a charging marker, the charging marker providing information relating to a location of a charge transmitter located at or below a travel surface of the roadway and at least partially within the lane boundary, the charge transmitter being located forward of the vehicle in a travel direction of the roadway; and

a processor operatively connected the sensor, the processor being configured to;

determine the location of the charge transmitter based on the information obtained from the charging marker;

determine a travel path for the vehicle based at least partially on the location of the charge transmitter and the plurality of lane markers so that;

a position of the vehicle is maintained within the lane boundary defined by the plurality of lane markers; and

the charge receiver is positioned in substantial charging alignment with the charge transmitter when the vehicle passes over the charge transmitter; and

causing the vehicle to autonomously implement the travel path whereby the vehicle is continuously positioned along the travel path, and wherein the vehicle is caused to autonomously implement the travel path by autonomously executing one or more maneuvers to follow the travel path.

2. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the charging marker is encoded, and wherein the processor is configured to obtain information from the charging marker.

3. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a camera.

4. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

present the travel path to a vehicle occupant.

5. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

prompt a vehicle occupant for permission to implement the travel path; and

responsive to receiving permission to implement the travel path, cause the vehicle to implement the travel path.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the lane boundary defines a travel lane in which the vehicle is currently operating.

7. A method of charging a battery of a vehicle while traveling on a roadway, the method comprising:

sensing a driving environment of a vehicle to detect;

a plurality of lane markers extending along a roadway, the plurality of lane markers defining a lane boundary; and

a charging marker located along the roadway, the charging marker providing information relating to a location of one or more charge transmitters embedded in the roadway, the one or more charge transmitters being located forward of the vehicle and at least partially within the lane boundary defined by the lane markers;

determining a location of the one or more charge transmitters embedded in the roadway based on information obtained from the charging marker;

determining a travel path for the vehicle based at least partially on the location of the one or more charge transmitters and the plurality of lane markers so that;

a position of the vehicle is maintained within the lane boundary defined by the plurality of lane markers; and

a charge receiver of the vehicle is positioned in substantial charging alignment with a charge transmitter of the one or more charge transmitters the vehicle passes over the charge transmitter;

causing the vehicle to autonomously implement the travel path, whereby the vehicle is continuously positioned along the travel path, and wherein causing the vehicle to autonomously implement the travel path includes autonomously executing one or more maneuvers to follow the travel path; and

charging, via the charge receiver, one or more batteries of the vehicle as the vehicle passes over the charge transmitter and continues along the determined travel path.

8. The method of claim 7, further including:

presenting the determined travel path to a vehicle occupant.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein causing the vehicle to autonomously implement the travel path is performed responsive to receiving an input corresponding to permission to implement the travel path.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the lane boundary defines a travel lane in which the vehicle is currently operating.