Wireless power transmission system and method

• US 10,084,350 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Endo, Hideto
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz, Elim
• Application Number:
  US14/404,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20150162752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,310 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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

Abstract

A wireless power transmission system (10) can perform power transmission in a wireless manner. The wireless power transmission system is provided with: a power transmission coil (11); a power supplying device (14) configured to supply electric power to the power transmission coil; a metal detecting device (13) configured to perform metal detection for detecting whether or not there is metal in surroundings of the power transmission coil; and a controlling device (12) configured to provide a power transmission period which is a period for the power transmission and a metal detection period which is a period for the metal detection, and to control the power supplying device to supply electric power, which is lower than electric power supplied to the power transmission coil in the power transmission period, or not to supply electric power, to the power transmission coil in the metal detection period.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission system configured to perform power transmission in a wireless manner by a method using an electromagnetic field, said wireless power transmission system comprising:

a power transmission and metal detection coil;

a power supplying device configured to supply electric power to the power transmission and metal detection coil;

a metal detecting device configured to perform metal detection for detecting whether or not there is metal in surroundings of the power transmission and metal detection coil by using a magnetic field generated in the surroundings of the power transmission and metal detection coil;

a controlling device configured to provide a power transmission period, which is a period for the power transmission, and a metal detection period, which is a period for the metal detection and is not executed simultaneously with the power transmission period, and further to control the power supplying device to supply electric power, which is lower than electric power supplied to the power transmission and metal detection coil in the power transmission period, to the power transmission coil in the metal detection period;

a foreign body detecting device configured to detect a foreign body in the surroundings of the power transmission and metal detection coil; and

a biodetecting device configured to detect a living body in the surroundings of the power transmission and metal detection coil,

wherein;

the controlling device controls the power supplying device not to supply electric power to the power transmission and metal detection coil under a condition that it is determined by the metal detecting device that there is metal in the surroundings of the power transmission and metal detection coil,

the controlling device changes to the metal detection period from the power transmission period under a condition that the foreign body is detected by the foreign body detecting device,

the biodetecting device determines whether or not the foreign body detected by the foreign body detecting device is a living body in the metal detection period, and

the controlling device controls the power supplying device not to supply electric power to the power transmission and metal detection coil if it is determined that the detected foreign body is a living body.