Charging support device

• US 10,581,258 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2019
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• 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:
  US16/453,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20190319469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 251 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 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 comprising:

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 detecting a position of the power transmission device based on the image captured by the camera, calculating the position of the power transmission device based on a moving direction and a moving distance of the vehicle after the power transmission device is hidden under the vehicle, displaying, in the overhead view image, (i) a first mark indicating a position of the power reception unit and (ii) a second mark indicating the position of the power transmission device, and varying a color or a size of at least one of the first and second marks in the overhead view image in a case where the power reception unit is positioned in a predetermined position.

2. A charging support device 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 comprising:

a controller that generates an overhead view image that displays a vehicle image of the vehicle and image of a surrounding area of the vehicle captured by a camera, the controller calculating a position of the power transmission device based on a) the image captured by the camera, b) a moving direction of the vehicle and c) a moving distance of the vehicle, not displaying, in the overhead view image, (i) a first mark indicating a position of the power reception unit and (ii) a second mark indicating the position of the power transmission device while the power transmission device is being shown in the captured image, displaying, in the overhead view image, the first mark and the second mark after the power transmission device is hidden under the vehicle, and varying a color or a size of at least one of the first and second marks in the overhead view image in a case where the power reception unit is positioned in a predetermined position.

3. A charging support device 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 comprising:

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 calculating a position of the power transmission device based on a) the image captured by the camera, b) a moving direction of the vehicle, and c) a moving distance of the vehicle, displaying, in the overhead view image, (i) a first mark indicating a position of the power reception unit and (ii) a second mark indicating the position of the power transmission device, and varying a color or a size of at least one of the first and second marks in the overhead view image in a case where the power reception unit is positioned in a predetermined position.

4. A charging support device 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 comprising:

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 calculating a position of the power transmission device based on a) the image captured by the camera, b) a moving direction of the vehicle, and c) a moving distance of the vehicle, displaying, in the overhead view image, (i) a first mark indicating a position of the power reception unit and (ii) a second mark indicating the position of the power transmission device, and varying a color or a size of at least one of the first and second marks in the overhead view image in a case where a distance between the position of the power reception unit and the position of the power transmission device becomes a predetermined distance.