Intelligent vehicle control for wireless power transfer (WPT)

• US 10,369,893 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moghe, Ashok Krishnaji, Apostolopoulos, John George
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun J
• Application Number:
  US15/790,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20190039470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 53/32 by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/39 with position-responsive activation of primary coils
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 : Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 : using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 : involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• 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 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

In some embodiments, a device in a network receives vehicle characteristic data regarding one or more autonomous vehicles. Each autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles is equipped with a vehicle-based charging coil configured to receive electrical power from a ground-based charging coil of a wireless power transfer (WPT) system. The device, based on the received vehicle characteristic data, identifies one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system available to provide power to the one or more autonomous vehicles. The device determines driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles to optimize power transfer from the one or more ground-based charging coils to the one or more autonomous vehicles. The device sends the driving parameters to the one or more autonomous vehicles to control movement of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device in a network, vehicle characteristic data regarding one or more autonomous vehicles, wherein each autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles is equipped with a vehicle-based charging coil configured to receive electrical power from a ground-based charging coil of a wireless power transfer (WPT) system;

identifying, by the device and based on the received vehicle characteristic data, one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system available to provide power to the one or more autonomous vehicles;

determining, by the device, driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles to optimize power transfer from the one or more ground-based charging coils to the one or more autonomous vehicles; and

sending, by the device, the driving parameters to the one or more autonomous vehicles to control movement of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the determining the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles comprises:

determining, by the device, a minimum amount of time needed to power a particular ground-based charging coil after the particular ground-based charging coil transfers power to a first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the determining the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles further comprises:

determining, by the device, an optimal speed for a second autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles, based on the minimum amount of time needed to power the particular ground-based charging coil after the particular ground-based charging coil transfers power to the first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

4. The method as in claim 2, wherein the determining the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles further comprises:

determining, by the device, an optimal spacing between the first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles and a second autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles, based on the minimum amount of time needed to power the particular ground-based charging coil after the particular ground-based charging coil transfers power to the first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the received vehicle characteristic data is indicative of a non-charging vehicle in proximity of the one or more autonomous vehicles, and wherein the determining the driving parameters comprises:

determining, by the device, a spacing between a first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles and the non-charging vehicle.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the determining the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles comprises:

using, by the device, a machine learning model that receives a feedback regarding optimizing the power transfer.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the determining the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles comprises:

selecting, by the device, one or more routes to be taken by the one or more autonomous vehicles.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the device, an indication of the driving parameters to a non-autonomous vehicle.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the identifying the one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system comprises:

identifying, by the device, one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system that are located with a predefined physical region.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate with a network;

a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed configured to;

receive vehicle characteristic data regarding one or more autonomous vehicles, wherein each autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles is equipped with a vehicle-based charging coil configured to receive electrical power from a ground-based charging coil of a wireless power transfer (WPT) system;

identify, based on the received vehicle characteristic data, one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system available to provide power to the one or more autonomous vehicles;

determine driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles to optimize power transfer from the one or more ground-based charging coils to the one or more autonomous vehicles; and

send the driving parameters to the one or more autonomous vehicles to control movement of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

11. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles by:

determining a minimum amount of time needed to power a particular ground-based charging coil after the particular ground-based charging coil transfers power to a first one of the autonomous vehicles.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters for the one or more vehicles by:

determining an optimal speed for a second one of the vehicles, based on the minimum amount of time needed to power the particular ground-based charging coil after the coil transfers power to a first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

13. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles by:

determining an optimal spacing between the first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles and a second autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles, based on the minimum amount of time needed to power the particular ground-based charging coil after the particular ground-based charging coil transfers power to the first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

14. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles by:

determining a lane or lane alignment for a particular autonomous vehicle of the vehicles that maximizes overlap between the vehicle-based charging coil of the particular autonomous vehicle and the ground-based charging coil.

15. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the received vehicle characteristic data is indicative of a non-charging vehicle in proximity of the one or more autonomous vehicles, and wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters by:

determining a spacing between a first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles and the non-charging vehicle.

16. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles by:

using a machine learning model that receives a feedback regarding optimizing the power transfer.

17. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the process when executed is further configured to:

provide an indication of the driving parameters to a non-autonomous vehicle.

18. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the apparatus identifies the one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system by:

identifying one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system that are located with a predefined physical region.

19. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises a fog computing capable road side unit.

20. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a device to execute a process comprising:

receiving, at the device, vehicle characteristic data regarding one or more autonomous vehicles, wherein each autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles is equipped with a vehicle-based charging coil configured to receive electrical power from a ground-based charging coil of a wireless power transfer (WPT) system;

identifying, by the device and based on the received vehicle characteristic data, one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system available to provide power to the one or more autonomous vehicles;

determining, by the device, driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles to optimize power transfer from the one or more ground-based charging coils to the one or more autonomous vehicles; and

sending, by the device, the driving parameters to the one or more autonomous vehicles to control movement of the one or more autonomous vehicles.