Wireless power transfer device with foreign object detection, system, and method for performing the same

• US 10,566,849 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Hiroaki, Kozakai, Osamu, Komiyama, Shinji, Fujimaki, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiao, David A
• Application Number:
  US16/004,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20180294679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 53/124 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 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/75 for isolation purposes
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for detecting the presence of undesirable foreign matter in a region between a wireless power transmission apparatus and a power reception apparatus are described. First and second detection methods, based on different detection schemes, may be used to detect and distinguish the presence of foreign matter from misalignment during power transfer operation. A first detection method may be used before power is transferred to a load in a power reception apparatus, and a second detection method may be used while power is supplied to the load.

Claims

1. A power reception apparatus comprising:

memory configured to store a Q-value; and

a power receiver configured to wirelessly receive a transmission of electrical power,

wherein the power receiver is configured to send the Q-value to a power transmission apparatus after the power receiver wirelessly receives the transmission of the electrical power from the power transmission apparatus, and

wherein the Q-value is a quality factor of the power reception apparatus, the quality factor is measurable when no foreign matter is near the power receiver.

2. The power reception apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery configured to be charged with the electrical power that the power receiver receives from the power transmission apparatus.

3. The power reception apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power receiver is configured to send the Q-value to the power transmission apparatus before the battery is charged with the electrical power.

4. The power reception apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power reception apparatus is configured to measure an amount of the electrical power received from the power transmission apparatus while the battery is charged with the electrical power.

5. The power reception apparatus of claim 4, wherein the amount of the electrical power received from the power transmission apparatus is used for an efficiency-based foreign matter detection which detects a foreign matter between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception apparatus.

6. The power reception apparatus of claim 4, wherein the amount of the electrical power received from the power transmission apparatus is used to calculate a power loss.

7. The power reception apparatus of claim 6, wherein the power loss indicates an amount of the electrical power that has been lost during the transmission of the electrical power.

8. The power reception apparatus of claim 1, wherein an amount of the electrical power received from the power transmission apparatus is used for an efficiency-based foreign matter detection which detects a foreign matter between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception apparatus.

9. The power reception apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Q-value is used for a Q-value-based foreign matter detection to detect foreign matter between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception apparatus.

10. The power reception apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power reception apparatus is an electric vehicle, a home electronic appliance, or a mobile phone.

11. A power reception method comprising:

storing a Q-value in memory;

wirelessly, by a power receiver, receiving a transmission of electrical power;

sending the Q-value from the power receiver to a power transmission apparatus after the power receiver wirelessly receives the transmission of the electrical power from the power transmission apparatus,

wherein the Q-value is a quality factor of the power reception apparatus, the quality factor is measurable when no foreign matter is near the power receiver.

12. The power reception method of claim 11, wherein an amount of the electrical power received from the power transmission apparatus is used for an efficiency-based foreign matter detection which detects a foreign matter between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception apparatus.

13. The power reception method of claim 11, further comprising:

charging a battery with the electrical power that the power receiver receives from the power transmission apparatus.

14. The power reception method of claim 13, wherein the Q-value is sent from the power receiver to the power transmission apparatus before the battery is charged with the electrical power.

15. The power reception method of claim 13, further comprising:

measuring, by the power reception apparatus, an amount of the electrical power received from the power transmission apparatus while the battery is charged with the electrical power.

16. The power reception method of claim 15, wherein the amount of the electrical power received from the power transmission apparatus is used for an efficiency-based foreign matter detection which detects a foreign object between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception apparatus.

17. The power reception method of claim 15, wherein the amount of the electrical power received from the power transmission apparatus is used to calculate a power loss.

18. The power reception method of claim 17, wherein the power loss indicates an amount of the electrical power that has been lost during the transmission of the electrical power.

19. The power reception method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a foreign object between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception apparatus.

20. The power reception method of claim 19, wherein the Q-value is used in a Q-value-based foreign matter detection during the step of detecting the foreign object.