Charging support device

• US 10,541,547 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2018
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Ten Limited (f/k/a Fujitsu Ten Ltd.) (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Ten Limited (f/k/a Fujitsu Ten Ltd.) (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Ryuji, Nishino, Norihito, Shimizu, Kenta, Cho, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/860,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20180248395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• 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 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30264 Parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• 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

A charging support device is used in charging a battery of a vehicle having a power reception unit on a bottom surface of the vehicle with power supplied from a power transmission device located outside the vehicle. The charging support device includes a controller that generates an overhead view image that displays a vehicle image of the vehicle and an image of a surrounding area of the vehicle captured by a camera. The controller displays, in the overhead view image, (i) a first mark indicating a position of the power reception unit and (ii) a second mark indicating a position of the power transmission device. The controller varies a color or a size of the second mark in a case where a positional relationship between the position of the power reception unit and the position of the power transmission device achieves a predetermined charging efficiency.

Claims

1. A charging support device comprising:

a controller that (A) acquires (i) an image which is captured by an imaging unit which captures a surrounding area of a vehicle so as to include a power transmission device which supplies a power to the vehicle in a non-contact manner, and (ii) a movement direction and a movement distance of the vehicle, (B) detects a position of the power transmission device based on the image, the movement direction, and the movement distance, (C) calculates a charging efficiency based on a distance between (1) a position of a power reception unit which is included in the vehicle and that is configured to receive the power from the power transmission device and (2) the position of the power transmission device, and (D) outputs a notification based on the calculated charging efficiency to an output unit,

wherein the notification includes changing a color or a size of an image of the power transmission device that is displayed as part of an overhead view image in which the image of the power transmission device is overlaid with an image of the vehicle, based on the charging efficiency.

2. The charging support device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller calculates the position of the power transmission device based on a capturing time of the image used to generate the overhead view image, a current time, and the movement direction and the movement distance of the vehicle.

6. The charging support device according to claim 1, wherein:

the overhead view image includes a first mark indicating a position of the power reception unit and a second mark indicating a position of the power transmission unit; and

the first and second marks indicate central positions of the power reception unit and the power transmission device, respectively.

7. The charging support device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller recognizes the position of the power transmission device from the image captured by the imaging unit before the power transmission device is hidden under the vehicle.

8. The charging support device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller displays an image of the power transmission device in the overhead view image by overlaying the image of the power transmission device with the vehicle image when at least a portion of the power transmission device is beneath the vehicle.

9. A vehicle system comprising:

the charging support device according to claim 1;

the power reception unit is located on a bottom surface of the vehicle, the power reception unit configured to be supplied with power in a non-contact manner from the power transmission device located outside the vehicle, so as to charge a battery of the vehicle; and

a display.

3. A charging support device comprising:

a controller that (A) acquires (i) an image which is captured by an imaging unit which captures a surrounding area of a vehicle so as to include a power transmission device which supplies power to the vehicle in a non-contact manner and (ii) a movement direction and a movement distance of the vehicle, (B) detects a position of the power transmission device based on the image, the movement direction, and the movement distance, (C) calculates a charging efficiency, and (D) outputs a notification based on the calculated charging efficiency to an output unit,

wherein the notification includes changing a color or a size of an image of the power transmission device that is displayed as part of an overhead view image in which the image of the power transmission device is overlaid with an image of the vehicle, based on the charging efficiency.

4. The charging support device according to claim 3, wherein the controller calculates the charging efficiency based on communication between the power reception unit and the power transmission device.

5. The charging support device according to claim 3, wherein the charging efficiency is one in a range of charging efficiencies and the notification is of the one in the range of charging efficiencies to the exclusion of other charging efficiencies in the range of charging efficiencies.