Contactless power transfer system and method of controlling the same

• US 10,052,963 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omar, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US15/108,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20160325632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/527 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/529 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 : of the resonant type
• 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: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

An electric power reception control unit of a vehicle generates an electric power transmission command for adjusting received electric power to an electric power reception command. The generated electric power transmission command is transmitted from the vehicle to a charging station via radio communication. An electric power transmission control unit of the charging station adjusts transmission electric power, which is transmitted from the charging station to the vehicle, to the electric power transmission command received from the vehicle. Responsiveness of electric power reception control carried out in the electric power reception control unit is lower than responsiveness of electric power transmission control carried out in the electric power transmission control unit.

Claims

1. A contactless power transfer system comprising:

a charging station; and

a vehicle configured to receive electric power from said charging station in a contactless manner,

said charging station including

a power transmission device configured to transmit electric power to said vehicle in a contactless manner,

a first control device configured to control said power transmission device, and

a first communication device configured to communicate with said vehicle,

said vehicle including

a power reception device configured to receive, in a contactless manner, electric power output from said power transmission device,

a second control device configured to control said power reception device, and

a second communication device configured to communicate with said charging station,

said second control device generating an electric power transmission command for adjusting an amount of received electric power in said power reception device to a prescribed target, and causing said second communication device to transmit the electric power transmission command to said charging station,

said first control device controlling said power transmission device so as to adjust transmission electric power output from said power transmission device to said electric power transmission command received by said first communication device, and

response time of electric power reception control, which is carried out by said second control device, for adjusting said amount of received electric power being lower than response time of electric power transmission control, which is carried out by said first control device, for adjusting said transmission electric power.

2. The contactless power transfer system according to claim 1, wherein

said first control device carries out first feedback control based on a detected value of said transmission electric power,

said second control device carries out second feedback control based on a detected value of said amount of received electric power, and

said second feedback control is longer in control cycle time than said first feedback control.

3. The contactless power transfer system according to claim 1, wherein a time constant of said electric power reception control carried out by said second control device is greater than a time constant of said electric power transmission control carried out by said first control device.

4. The contactless power transfer system according to claim 1, wherein a transmission cycle time of said electric power transmission command transmitted by said second communication device is longer than a control cycle time of said electric power transmission control carried out by said first control device.

5. The contactless power transfer system according to claim 1, wherein

said first control device causes said first communication device to transmit, to said vehicle, a signal indicating that said transmission electric power has converged to said electric power transmission command, and

when said signal has been received by said second communication device, said second control device updates said electric power transmission command transmitted to said charging station by said second communication device.

6. The contactless power transfer system according to claim 1, wherein

said second control device updates, for each prescribed cycle, said electric power transmission command transmitted to said charging station by said second communication device, and

said first control device stops changing of said electric power transmission command in said electric power transmission control until said transmission electric power converges to said electric power transmission command.

7. A method of controlling a contactless power transfer system in which electric power is transferred from a charging station to a vehicle in a contactless manner, said method comprising the steps of:

generating an electric power transmission command for adjusting an amount of received electric power in said vehicle to a prescribed target, and transmitting the electric power transmission command from said vehicle to said charging station; and

adjusting, in said charging station, transmission electric power output to said vehicle to said electric power transmission command received from said vehicle,

response time of electric power reception control for adjusting said amount of received electric power is lower than response time of electric power transmission control for adjusting said transmission electric power.