Electromagnetic field controlling system and method for vehicle wireless charging system

• US 10,486,538 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.), Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US14/930,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20170120757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• 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 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• 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

An electromagnetic field controlling system and method are provided. The electromagnetic field controlling system includes a magnetic field sensor that is disposed proximate to or in a vehicle that charges electric power using a wireless charging system and is configured to detect the magnitude of an electromagnetic field. An output controller adjusts output power in a power transmission side of the wireless charging system based on a comparison between a predetermined value for an electromagnetic field and the magnitude of the electromagnetic field detected by the magnetic field sensor. Accordingly, the magnitude of an electromagnetic field output from a vehicle wireless charging system is controlled within a safe range.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic field controlling system, comprising:

a magnetic field sensor disposed in or proximate to a vehicle charged using a wireless charging system and configured to detect a magnitude of an electromagnetic field generated by a power transmission side of the wireless charging system while the wireless charging system is operating to charge a battery in the vehicle; and

an output controller configured to compare the detected magnitude of the electromagnetic field generated by the power transmission side of the wireless charging system with a predetermined value for an electromagnetic field and adjust output power in the power transmission side of the wireless charging system based on whether the detected magnitude of the electromagnetic field generated by the power transmission side of the wireless charging system is less than the predetermined value for the electromagnetic field,

wherein the magnetic field sensor is disposed on a floor of the vehicle.

2. The electromagnetic field controlling system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensor is a hall effect sensor.

3. The electromagnetic field controlling system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensor is disposed in multiple areas defined by a guideline for establishing a permissible electromagnetic field proximate to or in the vehicle, and the output controller is configured to adjust output power in the power transmission side to satisfy the guideline regarding the permissible magnitude of an electromagnetic field, defined for each of the multiple areas in which the magnetic field sensor is installed.

4. The electromagnetic field controlling system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensor is installed in at least one position selected from the group consisting of:

a headrest, a seatback, a seat cushion, and a foot supporting part of a seat within the vehicle.

5. The electromagnetic field controlling system of claim 1, wherein the output controller is configured to perform proportional-integral-derivate (PID) control for output power in the power transmission side of the wireless charging system, using the difference between the predetermined value for an electromagnetic field and the magnitude of the electromagnetic field detected by the magnetic field sensor.

6. The electromagnetic field controlling system of claim 1, wherein the output controller is configured to decrease the output power in the power transmission side of the wireless charging system to be less than a predetermined level when an error occurs in an operation of the magnetic field sensor.

7. The electromagnetic field controlling system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic controlling system is turned on before a charging operation of the wireless charging system is started, and is turned off after the charging operation of the wireless charging system is terminated.

8. The electromagnetic field controlling system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes:

an analog-digital conversion module configured to convert an electromagnetic field detection signal, output from the magnetic field sensor, into a digital value; and

a unit conversion module configured to convert the digital value, converted by the analog-digital conversion module, into a value based on a unit comparable with the predetermined value for an electromagnetic field.

9. The electromagnetic field controlling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a seating sensor disposed in a seat of the vehicle and configured to detect whether a passenger is seated on the seat,

wherein the seating sensor is disposed in the seat or proximate to the seat in the vehicle, and the output controller is configured to adjust the output power in the power transmission side of the wireless charging system, using the magnitude of the electromagnetic field detected by the magnetic field sensor disposed in the seat occupied by a passenger, the seat being detected by the seating sensor.

10. The electromagnetic field controlling system of claim 9, wherein the output controller is configured to adjust the output power in the power transmission side of the wireless charging system by comparing the predetermined value for an electromagnetic field with a largest value among the magnitudes of the electromagnetic fields detected by the magnetic field sensors disposed in the seats occupied by a passenger.

11. An electromagnetic field controlling method, comprising:

detecting, by a magnetic field sensor, a magnitude of an electromagnetic field proximate to a vehicle charged using a wireless charging system, while the wireless charging system is operating to charge a battery in the vehicle, the electromagnetic field generated by a power transmission side of the wireless charging system;

comparing, by a controller, the detected magnitude of the electromagnetic field generated by the power transmission side of the wireless charging system with a predetermined value for an electromagnetic field; and

adjusting, by the controller, output power in the power transmission side of the wireless charging system based on whether the detected magnitude of the electromagnetic field generated by the power transmission side of the wireless charging system is less than the predetermined value for the electromagnetic field,

wherein the magnetic field sensor is disposed on a floor of the vehicle.

12. The electromagnetic field controlling method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting, by the magnetic field sensor, an electromagnetic field in multiple areas defined by a guideline establishing a permissible electromagnetic field proximate to or in the vehicle; and

adjusting, by the controller, output power in the power transmission side to satisfy a guideline about a permissible magnitude of an electromagnetic field, defined for each of the multiple areas in which the electromagnetic field is detected.

13. The electromagnetic field controlling method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting, by a seating sensor, whether a passenger is seated on a seat of the vehicle;

detecting, by the magnetic field sensor, an electromagnetic field in the seat of the vehicle; and

adjusting, by the controller, output power in the power transmission side of the wireless charging system, using the magnitude of the electromagnetic field detected in the seat occupied by a passenger.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that control a magnetic field sensor to detect a magnitude of an electromagnetic field proximate to a vehicle charged using a wireless charging system, while the wireless charging system is operating to charge a battery in the vehicle, the electromagnetic field generated by a power transmission side of the wireless charging system;

program instructions that compare the detected magnitude of the electromagnetic field generated by the power transmission side of the wireless charging system with a predetermined value for an electromagnetic field; and

program instructions that adjust output power in the power transmission side of the wireless charging system based on whether the detected magnitude of the electromagnetic field generated by the power transmission side of the wireless charging system is less than the predetermined value for the electromagnetic field,

wherein the magnetic field sensor is disposed on a floor of the vehicle.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions that control the magnetic field sensor to detect an electromagnetic field in multiple areas defined by a guideline establishing a permissible electromagnetic field proximate to or in the vehicle; and

program instructions that adjust output power in the power transmission side to satisfy a guideline about a permissible magnitude of an electromagnetic field, defined for each of the multiple areas in which the electromagnetic field is detected.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions that control a seating sensor to detect whether a passenger is seated on a seat of the vehicle;

program instructions that control the magnetic field sensor to detect an electromagnetic field in the seat of the vehicle; and

program instructions that adjust output power in the power transmission side of the wireless charging system, using the magnitude of the electromagnetic field detected in the seat occupied by a passenger.