Device for detecting a parasitic metallic object in the emission zone of a device for recharging a user apparatus for an automotive vehicle and associated detection method

• US 10,270,296 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Cheikh, Mohamed
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US15/773,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20180323658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/104 using several coupled or uncoupled coils G01V3/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings

Abstract

A device for detecting the presence of a parasitic metal object on a reception surface of a device for recharging a user apparatus for an automotive vehicle, the device including an antenna of the emitting coil type and: at least two identical passive detection coils, situated between the emitting coil and the reception surface; a determiner for determining the quality factor across the terminals of the two coils, and of the emitting coil; a controller; a storage device for storing the quality factors at predetermined instances; a calculator for calculating ratios between the stored quality factors, or between values of the quality factors stored at different predetermined instances; a comparator for comparing between the ratios in order to detect the presence of an interfering metal object on the reception surface.

Claims

1. A device for detecting a presence of a parasitic metallic object on a reception surface of a device for recharging by induction of a battery of a user apparatus for an automotive vehicle, said recharging device comprising:

an emission module,

a management module, and

the reception surface for the user apparatus,

said emission module comprising at least one induction emitting coil type antenna coupled to the reception surface and configured to generate an electromagnetic field around the reception surface in an “

emission”

zone,

said management module of the device being configured to detect a presence of the user apparatus on the reception surface and to control the emission module

at least two identical passive detection coils, situated between the emitting coil and the reception surface;

each coil, a first coil and a second coil forming a continuous loop, open at its ends and comprising a plurality of identical mutually spaced segments connected together by a link,

said two coils being superposed, in two parallel planes, and mutually offset by a segment, in such a way that the respective segments of each coil cover distinct surface areas of the reception surface,

the segments being disposed in a symmetric manner with respect to one of two perpendicular axes crossing at a center of the reception surface,

first means for determining a first quality factor across terminals of the first coil,

second means for determining a second quality factor across the terminals of the second coil,

third means for determining a third quality factor across terminals of the emitting coil,

means of control of the first, second, and third determining means,

means of storage of the first, second and third quality factor at predetermined instants,

means of calculation of ratios between the first, second and third quality factors stored, or between values of quality factors stored at different predetermined instants,

means of comparison between the ratios so as to detect the presence of the parasitic metallic object on the reception surface.

2. The device for detecting a presence of a parasitic metallic object as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the calculation means calculates:

a first ratio which is equal to the ratio between a third initial quality factor and a third final quality factor,

a second ratio which is equal to the ratio between an average of the first initial quality factor and of the second initial quality factor and an average of the first final quality factor and of the second final quality factor,

and the comparison means compares the first ratio with the second ratio.

3. The device (D) for detecting a presence of a parasitic metallic object as claimed in claim 1, wherein

a first ratio which is equal to the ratio between a third initial quality factor and an average of the first initial quality factor and of the second initial quality factor,

a second ratio which is equal to the ratio between a third final quality factor, and an average of the first final quality factor and of the second final quality factor,

and the comparison means compares the first ratio with the second ratio.

4. The device for detecting a presence of a parasitic metallic object as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parallel planes are merged.

5. The device for detecting a presence of a parasitic metallic object, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the segments are of smaller dimensions than the dimensions of the emitting coil.

6. The device for detecting a presence of a parasitic metallic object, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of segments is k times proportional to a number of emitting coils, with k>

4.

7. The device for detecting a presence of a parasitic metallic object, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sum of the distinct surface areas covered by the segments of said two coils is substantially equal to the reception surface area.

8. The device for detecting a presence of a parasitic metallic object, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passive detection coils consist of a single winding of copper wire.

9. The device for detecting a presence of a parasitic metallic object, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first determining means, the second determining means, the third determining means, the storage means, the control means, the calculation means and the comparison means take the form of non-transitory software, integrated into the management module.

10. A method of detecting a presence of a parasitic metallic object, using the detection device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

Step E1;

Prior determination of the first initial quality factor, of the second initial quality factor, and of the third initial quality factor in the absence of the user apparatus on the reception surface,

Step E2;

storing the values of the first initial quality factor, the second initial quality factor, and the third initial quality factor,

Step E3;

detecting the presence of the user apparatus on the reception surface,

Step E4;

determining the first final quality factor, the second final quality factor, and the third final quality factor,

Step E5;

calculating a first average between the first initial quality factor and the second initial quality factor, and a second average between the first final quality factor and the second final quality factor,

Step E6;

calculating a first ratio between the third initial quality factor and the third final quality factor, or between the third initial quality factor and the first average, and calculating a second ratio between the first average and the second average, or between the third final quality factor and the second average,

Step E7;

If the first ratio is greater, to within a predetermined factor, than the second ratio, then;

presence of a parasitic metallic object on the reception surface,

Else

absence of said parasitic metallic object.

11. An automotive vehicle, comprising a detection device as claimed in claim 1.