Contactless power transfer system, power receiving device, and power transmission device

• US 10,141,781 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Katanoda, Tomoya, Inoue, Junji, Tsunekawa, Yuki, Abe, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Application Number:
  US15/409,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20170214275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: 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 contactless power transfer system includes a power transmission device and a power receiving device. A second electronic control unit of the power transmission device is configured to determine whether a series of manipulations including severing connection between the power transmission device and the power supply via the power supply cable, and then connecting the power transmission device with the power supply again via the power supply cable, are performed. The second electronic control unit is configured to send a predetermined signal to the power receiving device when the second electronic control unit determines that the series of manipulations are performed. A first electronic control unit of the power receiving device is configured to generate a command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the time schedule, when the first electronic control unit receives the signal.

Claims

1. A contactless power transfer system comprising:

a power transmission device; and

a power receiving device that contactlessly receives electric power from the power transmission device, wherein

the power receiving device includes a power receiving circuit, a power storage device, and a first electronic controller, wherein

the power receiving circuit contactlessly receives the electric power from the power transmission device,

the power storage device stores the electric power received by the power receiving circuit, and

the first electronic controller generates a first command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, according to a preset time schedule, such that charging of the power storage device is started according to the preset time schedule,

the power transmission device includes a power transmitting circuit and a second electronic controller, wherein

the power transmitting circuit contactlessly transmits the electric power obtained from a power supply provided outside the power transmission device, to the power receiving circuit, in a condition where the power transmission device and the power supply are connected to each other via a power supply cable,

the second electronic controller determines whether a series of manipulations including severing connection between the power transmission device and the power supply via the power supply cable, and then connecting the power transmission device with the power supply again via the power supply cable, are performed within a predetermined period of time, and

the second electronic controller sends a predetermined signal to the power receiving device when the second electronic controller determines that the series of manipulations are performed within the predetermined period of time, and

the first electronic controller generates a second command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the preset time schedule, when the first electronic controller receives the predetermined signal in a case where the preset time schedule is set.

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

the predetermined signal is pulsed electric power in a form of predetermined pulses,

the second electronic controller controls the power transmitting circuit so as to send the pulsed electric power to the power receiving circuit, when the second electronic controller determines that the series of manipulations are performed within the predetermined period of time, and

the first electronic controller generates the second command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the preset time schedule, when the pulsed electric power is received by the power receiving circuit in a case where the preset time schedule is set.

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

the power receiving device includes a first communicating device that communicates with the power transmission device,

the power transmission device includes a second communicating device that communicates with the first communicating device, and a memory that stores a history of performance of the series of manipulations within the predetermined period of time,

the predetermined signal comprises a signal indicating the history,

the first electronic controller controls the first communicating device so as to intermittently establish communication between the first communicating device and the second communicating device, when the preset time schedule is set,

the second electronic controller controls the second communicating device so as to transmit the signal indicating the history to the first communicating device, when the history is stored in the memory in a case where the communication between the first communicating device and the second communicating device is established, and

the first electronic controller generates the second command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the preset time schedule, when the signal indicating the history is received via the first communicating device in a case where the preset time schedule is set.

4. A power receiving device that contactlessly receives electric power from a power transmission device provided outside the power receiving device, the power transmission device including a power transmitting circuit and a second electronic controller, the power transmitting circuit contactlessly transmitting the electric power obtained from a power supply provided outside the power transmission device, to a power receiving circuit, in a condition where the power transmission device and the power supply are connected to each other via a power supply cable, the second electronic controller determining whether a series of manipulations including severing connection between the power transmission device and the power supply via the power supply cable, and then connecting the power transmission device with the power supply again via the power supply cable, are performed within a predetermined period of time, the second electronic controller sending a predetermined signal to the power receiving device when the second electronic controller determines that the series of manipulations are performed within the predetermined period of time, the power receiving device comprising:

the power receiving circuit that contactlessly receives the electric power from the power transmission device;

a power storage device that stores the electric power received by the power receiving circuit; and

a first electronic controller that generates a first command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, according to a preset time schedule, such that charging of the power storage device is started according to the preset time schedule, wherein

the first electronic controller generates a second command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the preset time schedule, when the first electronic controller receives the predetermined signal in a case where the preset time schedule is set.

5. A power transmission device that contactlessly transmits electric power to a power receiving device provided outside the power transmission device, the power receiving device including a power receiving circuit, a power storage device, and a first electronic controller, the power receiving circuit contactlessly receiving the electric power from the power transmission device, the power storage device storing the electric power received by the power receiving circuit, the first electronic controller generating a first command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, according to a preset time schedule, such that charging of the power storage device is started according to the preset time schedule, the first electronic controller generating a second command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the preset time schedule, when the first electronic controller receives a predetermined signal from the power transmission device in a case where the preset time schedule is set, the power transmission device comprising:

a power transmitting circuit that contactlessly transmits the electric power obtained from a power supply provided outside the power transmission device, to the power receiving circuit, in a condition where the power transmission device and the power supply are connected to each other via a power supply cable; and

a second electronic controller that determines whether a series of manipulations including severing connection between the power transmission device and the power supply via the power supply cable, and then connecting the power transmission device with the power supply again via the power supply cable, are performed within a predetermined period of time, wherein

the second electronic controller sends the predetermined signal to the power receiving device when the second electronic controller determines that the series of manipulations are performed within the predetermined period of time.