Contactless power transfer system and power transmission device

• US 10,457,149 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Isla, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Manuel
• Application Number:
  US15/038,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20160311337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/50 using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells
• 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: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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

A power reception unit includes a resonance circuit for contactlessly receiving electric power output from power transmission units. Each of the power transmission units is configured to be able to form a plurality of resonance circuits having circuit configurations different from each other. A communication unit transmits information about a configuration of the resonance circuit of the power reception unit to a communication unit. A power supply ECU controls the power transmission units such that a resonance circuit of the plurality of resonance circuits which has a circuit configuration identical to that of the resonance circuit of the power reception unit is formed in the power transmission units.

Claims

1. A power transmission device, comprising:

a power transmission unit configured to contactlessly transmit electric power to a vehicle;

a communication device configured to communicate with the vehicle,

the vehicle including a resonance circuit for power reception configured to contactlessly receive the electric power output from the power transmission unit,

the power transmission unit being configured to be able to form a plurality of resonance circuits for power transmission having circuit configurations different from each other,

the communication device being configured to receive information about the resonance circuit for power reception from the vehicle; and

a control device configured to control the power transmission unit to form a resonance circuit in the power transmission unit based on the information from the vehicle received by the communication device,

the power transmission unit including a switching circuit for selectively forming a resonance circuit for power transmission having any of an S configuration, a P configuration, an SP configuration, and a PS configuration,

each of the resonance circuit for power reception and the plural kinds of resonance circuit for power transmission including a coil and a capacitor,

in the S configuration, a capacitor is connected in series with the coil,

in the P configuration, a capacitor is connected in parallel with the coil,

in the SP configuration, another capacitor is connected in series with a circuit having the P configuration, and

in the PS configuration, another capacitor is connected in parallel with a circuit having the S configuration.

2. A power transmission device, comprising:

a power transmission unit configured to contactlessly transmit electric power to a vehicle;

a communication device configured to communicate with the vehicle,

the vehicle including a resonance circuit for power reception configured to contactlessly receive the electric power output from the power transmission unit, wherein;

the power transmission unit being configured to be able to form plural kinds of resonance circuits having circuit configurations different from each other,

the communication device being configured to receive information about the resonance circuit for power reception from the vehicle; and

a control device configured to control the power transmission unit to form one of the resonance circuits in the power transmission unit based on the information from the vehicle received by the communication device,

the control device controlling the power transmission unit to form the one of the resonance circuits for power transmission in the power transmission unit based on the information from the vehicle received by the communication device, the one of the resonance circuits having a circuit configuration identical to that of the resonance circuit for power reception,

each of the resonance circuit for power reception and the plural kinds of resonance circuit for power transmission including a coil and a capacitor, and

the information being information indicating a connection state of the coil and the capacitor of the resonance circuit for power reception,

wherein the power transmission unit includes a switching circuit for selectively forming a resonance circuit for power transmission having any of an S configuration, a P configuration, an SP configuration, and a PS configuration,

in the S configuration, a capacitor is connected in series with the coil,

in the P configuration, a capacitor is connected in parallel with the coil,

in the SP configuration, another capacitor is connected in series with a circuit having the P configuration, and

in the PS configuration, another capacitor is connected in parallel with a circuit having the S configuration.

3. A contactless power transfer system, comprising:

a charging station; and

a vehicle configured to contactlessly receive electric power from the charging station,

the charging station including;

a power transmission unit for contactlessly transmitting the electric power to the vehicle; and

a first communication device configured to communicate with the vehicle, the vehicle including;

a resonance circuit for power reception configured to contactlessly receive the electric power output from the power transmission unit; and

a second communication device configured to communicate with the charging station, wherein;

the power transmission unit being configured to be able to form a plurality of resonance circuits for power transmission having circuit configurations different from each other,

the second communication device transmitting information about the resonance circuit for power reception to the first communication device,

the charging station further including a control device configured to control the power transmission unit, when the information is received by the first communication device, to form a resonance circuit in the power transmission unit based on the received information,

the power transmission unit including a switching circuit for selectively forming a resonance circuit for power transmission having any of an S configuration, a P configuration, an SP configuration, and a PS configuration,

each of the resonance circuit for power reception and the plural kinds of resonance circuit for power transmission including a coil and a capacitor,

in the S configuration, a capacitor is connected in series with the coil,

in the P configuration, a capacitor is connected in parallel with the coil,

in the SP configuration, another capacitor is connected in series with a circuit having the P configuration, and

in the PS configuration, another capacitor is connected in parallel with a circuit having the S configuration.

4. A contactless power transfer system, comprising:

a charging station; and

a vehicle configured to contactlessly receive electric power from the charging station,

the charging station including;

a power transmission unit for contactlessly transmitting the electric power to the vehicle; and

a first communication device configured to communicate with the vehicle, the vehicle including;

a resonance circuit for power reception configured to contactlessly receive the electric power output from the power transmission unit; and

a second communication device configured to communicate with the charging station, wherein;

the power transmission unit being configured to be able to form plural kinds of resonance circuits having circuit configurations different from each other,

the second communication device transmitting information about the resonance circuit for power reception to the first communication device,

the charging station further including a control device configured to control the power transmission unit, when the information is received by the first communication device, to form one of the resonance circuits in the power transmission unit based on the received information,

the control device controlling the power transmission unit, when the information is received by the first communication device, to form the one of the resonance circuits for power transmission in the power transmission unit, the one of the resonance circuits having a circuit configuration identical to that of the resonance circuit for power reception,

each of the resonance circuit for power reception and the plural kinds of resonance circuit for power transmission including a coil and a capacitor, and

the information being information indicating a connection state of the coil and the capacitor of the resonance circuit for power reception,

wherein the power transmission unit includes a switching circuit for selectively forming a resonance circuit for power transmission having any of an S configuration, a P configuration, an SP configuration, and a PS configuration,

in the S configuration, a capacitor is connected in series with the coil,

in the P configuration, a capacitor is connected in parallel with the coil,

in the SP configuration, another capacitor is connected in series with a circuit having the P configuration, and

in the PS configuration, another capacitor is connected in parallel with a circuit having the S configuration.