Systems, methods and apparatuses for guidance and alignment in electric vehicles wireless inductive charging systems

• US 10,411,524 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Widmer, Hans Peter, Daetwyler, Andreas, Sieber, Lukas
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US15/069,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20160380488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• 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 53/36 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: G01D 5/204 by influencing the mutual induction between two or more coils G01D5/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2066 by movement of a single coil with respect to a single other coil
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/02 Measuring direction or magnitude of magnetic fields or magnetic flux G01R33/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0206 Three-component magnetometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/028 Electrodynamic magnetometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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

An apparatus for determining a relative position of a wireless power transmitter from a wireless power receiver is provided. The apparatus comprises a plurality of sense coils, each configured to generate a respective signal under influence of an alternating magnetic field comprising a plurality of wave pulses, each wave pulse occurring in a respective time slot of a plurality of time slots. The apparatus further comprises a processor configured to determine the relative position of the wireless power transmitter from the wireless power receiver based on the respective signal from each of the plurality of sense coils.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining a relative position of a wireless power transmitter from a wireless power receiver, comprising:

a plurality of sense coils, each configured to generate a respective signal under influence of an alternating magnetic field generated by the wireless power transmitter and comprising a plurality of wave pulses, each wave pulse occurring in a respective time slot of a plurality of time slots; and

a processor configured to determine the relative position of the wireless power transmitter from the wireless power receiver based on the respective signal from each of the plurality of sense coils.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sense coils comprise at least a first sense coil and a second sense coil oriented orthogonal to one another to provide at least a two-axis sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sense coils comprise at least three co-planar sense coils configured to provide at least a two-axis sensor in combination.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each wave pulse of the plurality of wave pulses has a common carrier frequency.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first wave pulse has a predetermined phase shift with respect to each following wave pulse of the plurality of wave pulses.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the respective signal generated by each of the plurality of sense coils comprises at least:

a first portion caused by a first wave pulse of the plurality of wave pulses occurring in a first time slot of the plurality of time slots;

a second portion caused by a second wave pulse of the plurality of wave pulses occurring in a second time slot of the plurality of time slots; and

a third portion caused by a third wave pulse of the plurality of wave pulses occurring in a third time slot of the plurality of time slots; and

wherein the processor is configured to estimate a relative phase angle between the first portion and the second portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to establish relative phase synchronization in the time domain between the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion by shifting a detection time instant by an amount that is a function of the relative phase angle between the first portion and the second portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to establish relative phase synchronization in the frequency domain between the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion by shilling a phase angle of the second portion and the third portion by the relative phase angle.

9. A method for determining a relative position of a wireless power transmitter from a wireless power receiver, comprising:

generating, by each of a plurality of sense coils, a respective signal under influence of an alternating magnetic field generated by the wireless power transmitter and comprising a plurality of wave pulses, each wave pulse occurring in a respective time slot of a plurality of time slots; and

determining the relative position of the wireless power transmitter from the wireless power receiver based on the respective signal from each of the plurality of sense coils.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of sense coils comprise at least a first sense coil and a second sense coil oriented orthogonal to one another to provide at least a two-axis sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of sense coils comprise at east three co-planar sense coils configured to provide at least a two-axis sensor in combination.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein each wave pulse of the plurality of wave pulses has a common carrier frequency.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a first wave pulse has a predetermined phase shift with respect to each following wave pulse of the plurality of wave pulses.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the respective signal generated by each of the plurality of sense coils comprises at least:

a first portion caused by a first wave pulse of the plurality of wave pulses occurring in a first time slot of the plurality of time slots;

a second portion caused by a second wave pulse of the plurality of wave pulses occurring in a second time slot of the plurality of time slots; and

a third portion caused by a third wave pulse of the plurality of wave pulses occurring in a third time slot of the plurality of time slots; and

wherein the method further comprises estimating a relative phase angle between the first portion and the second portion.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising establishing relative phase synchronization in the time domain between the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion by shifting a detection time instant by an amount that is a function of the relative phase angle between the first portion and the second portion.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising establishing relative phase synchronization in the frequency domain between the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion by shifting a phase angle of the second portion and the third portion by the relative phase angle.