Method and apparatus for operating a contactless charging device for the disturbance free operation of the keyless entry system

• US 10,384,554 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Schwab, Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): Muralidar, Richard V
• Application Number:
  US14/921,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20160039302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/22 by presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• 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 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling 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 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

Abstract

The contactless charging device is designed to provide a charging current for at least one specified energy store in the vehicle in such a manner that a current is transferred from a fixed location primary coil to a secondary coil in the vehicle depending on a magnetic field change generated by the charging device. During a charging phase of the at least one energy store, the invention detects, depending on specified ambient data for a specified environment around the vehicle, whether a vehicle user is approaching the vehicle and/or another vehicle which is located in a specified vicinity of the vehicle with a desire to access the vehicle or the other vehicle. If the invention detects that the vehicle user wishing to access the vehicle is approaching the vehicle and/or the other vehicle, the charging current is reduced in a specified manner.

Claims

1. A method for operating a non-contact charging device for at least one of an electric and a hybrid vehicle, wherein the non-contact charging device is configured to provide a charging current for at least one predefined energy store of the vehicle such that a current is transmitted from a stationary primary coil to a secondary coil in the vehicle as a function of a change in the magnetic field generated by the charging device, wherein, during a charging phase of the at least one predefined energy store, the method comprising:

classifying, based on predefined environmental data for a predefined surrounding area of the vehicle, a person approaching another vehicle located in a predefined neighboring region of the vehicle, as desiring access the other vehicle; and

reducing the charging current in a predefined manner based at least in part on said classification.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one image capturing device, which is arranged in or on the vehicle, provides the predefined environmental data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first camera and/or a second camera, which are arranged in a respective outside side-view mirror of the vehicle, provide the predefined environmental data.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a third camera, which is arranged in a rear region of the vehicle, provides the predefined environmental data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprising determining, based on the predefined environmental data, whether the other vehicle is of a same make as the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining, based on the predefined environmental data, whether the other vehicle is an older vehicle of a same make as the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises determining, based on the predefined environmental data, whether the other vehicle is an older vehicle of the same make as the vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the classifying comprises:

determining a position of the person approaching the other vehicle relative to the other vehicle based on the environmental data.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the classifying comprises:

determining a position of the person approaching the other vehicle relative to the other vehicle based on the environmental data.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein reducing the charging current in the predefined manner is based at least in part on said classifying the person as having the desire to access the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein reducing the charging current in the predefined manner is based at least in part on said classifying the person as having the desire to access the vehicle.

12. A device for operating a non-contact charging device for at least one of an electric and a hybrid vehicle, wherein the non-contact charging device is configured to provide a charging current for at least one predefined energy store of the vehicle such that a current is transmitted from a stationary primary coil to a secondary coil in the vehicle as a function of a change in the magnetic field generated by the charging device, wherein, during a charging phase of the at least one predefined energy store, the device is configured to:

classify, based on predefined environmental data for a predefined surrounding area of the vehicle, a person approaching another vehicle located in the predefined neighboring region of the vehicle, as desiring access to the other vehicle, and

reduce the charging current in a predefined manner based at least in part on said classification.

13. A vehicle having at least one of electric and a hybrid drive, wherein the vehicle comprises a device configured to operate a non-contact charging device for at least one of an electric and a hybrid vehicle, wherein the non-contact charging device is configured to provide a charging current for at least one predefined energy store of the vehicle such that a current is transmitted from a stationary primary coil to a secondary coil in the vehicle as a function of a change in the magnetic field generated by the charging device, wherein, during a charging phase of the at least one predefined energy store, the device is configured to:

classify, based on predefined environmental data for a predefined surrounding area of the vehicle, a person approaching another vehicle located in the predefined neighboring region of the vehicle, as desiring access to the other vehicle, and

reduce the charging current in a predefined manner based at least in part on said classification.