PARKING ASSIST DEVICE FOR VEHICLE AND ELECTRICALLY POWERED VEHICLE INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20130038715A1
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 9,365,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/118
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• 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 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 first guidance control unit constituted of a parking assist ECU and a steering ECU guides a vehicle to a power transfer unit of a power feeding apparatus by controlling steering of the vehicle based on an image taken by a camera. When the vehicle is guided by the first guidance control unit to a predetermined position with respect to the power transfer unit, a second guidance control unit constituted of a vehicle ECU, a motor control ECU and a charging ECU performs alignment between the power transfer unit and a power reception unit by controlling speed of the vehicle based on a power receiving situation of the power reception unit.

Claims

1. A parking assist device for a vehicle in which electric power transferred from a power transfer unit of a power feeding apparatus provided outside of the vehicle is received by a power reception unit from below the vehicle in a contactless manner comprising:

an image taking device for taking an image of outside of said vehicle;

a first guidance control unit for guiding orientation of said vehicle to said power transfer unit based on the image taken by said image taking device; and

a second guidance control unit for guiding speed of said vehicle to said power transfer unit without guiding a change in orientation of said vehicle based on a power receiving situation of said power reception unit, after the guidance by said first guidance control unit.

4. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said first guidance control unit guides steering of said vehicle, and

said second guidance control unit guides speed of said vehicle without guiding a change in steering of said vehicle.

5. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said second guidance control unit guides the speed of said vehicle so that the speed of said vehicle is lower when a receiving voltage of said power reception unit is high than the speed of said vehicle when said receiving voltage is low.

6. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said second guidance control unit guides the speed of said vehicle so that the speed of said vehicle decreases with an increase in receiving voltage of said power reception unit.

7. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said second guidance control unit guides the speed of said vehicle so that the speed of said vehicle decreases when a receiving voltage of said power reception unit exceeds a predetermined voltage value.

8. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said first guidance control unit guides the orientation of said vehicle to said power transfer unit based on a position and orientation of said power transfer unit that are recognized from the shape or arrangement of an identifier indicating the power transfer unit whose image has been taken by said image taking device.

9. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said second guidance control unit guides the speed of said vehicle so that the speed of said vehicle decreases irrespective of the power receiving situation of said power reception unit when a measured movement distance of said vehicle reaches a predetermined value.

10. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a parking assist request unit for accepting a request for parking assistance for said vehicle; and

a power feeding request unit for accepting a request for power feeding by said power feeding apparatus, wherein

said vehicle is guided to said power transfer unit by said first guidance control unit and said second guidance control unit when said parking assist request unit accepts said request for parking assistance and said power feeding request unit accepts said request for power feeding.

11. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

electric power is transferred in a contactless manner from said power transfer unit to said power reception unit differently between during the guidance by said second guidance control unit and after completion of parking assistance for said vehicle.

2. A parking assist device for a vehicle in which electric power transferred from a power transfer unit of a power feeding apparatus provided outside of the vehicle is received by a power reception unit in a contactless manner, comprising:

an image taking device built into said vehicle so that said power transfer unit is positioned outside of an image taking range when electric power is transferred from said power transfer unit to said power reception unit after completion of parking assistance;

a first guidance control unit for guiding orientation of said vehicle to said power transfer unit based on an image taken by said image taking device; and

a second guidance control unit for guiding speed of said vehicle to said power transfer unit without guiding a change in orientation of said vehicle based on a power receiving situation of said power reception unit, after the guidance by said first guidance control unit.

3. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

when said vehicle is guided by said first guidance control unit to a predetermined position with respect to said power transfer unit, the control by said first guidance control unit is switched to the control by said second guidance control unit.

12. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said first guidance control unit guides steering of said vehicle, and

said second guidance control unit guides speed of said vehicle without guiding a change in steering of said vehicle.

13. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said second guidance control unit guides the speed of said vehicle so that the speed of said vehicle is lower when a receiving voltage of said power reception unit is high than the speed of said vehicle when said receiving voltage is low.

14. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said second guidance control unit guides the speed of said vehicle so that the speed of said vehicle decreases with an increase in receiving voltage of said power reception unit.

15. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said second guidance control unit guides the speed of said vehicle so that the speed of said vehicle decreases when a receiving voltage of said power reception unit exceeds a predetermined voltage value.

16. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said first guidance control unit guides the orientation of said vehicle to said power transfer unit based on a position and orientation of said power transfer unit that are recognized from the shape or arrangement of an identifier indicating the power transfer unit whose image has been taken by said image taking device.

17. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said second guidance control unit guides the speed of said vehicle so that the speed of said vehicle decreases irrespective of the power receiving situation of said power reception unit when a measured movement distance of said vehicle reaches a predetermined value.

18. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a parking assist request unit for accepting a request for parking assistance for said vehicle; and

a power feeding request unit for accepting a request for power feeding by said power feeding apparatus, wherein

said vehicle is guided to said power transfer unit by said first guidance control unit and said second guidance control unit when said parking assist request unit accepts said request for parking assistance and said power feeding request unit accepts said request for power feeding.

19. The parking assist device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

electric power is transferred in a contactless manner from said power transfer unit to said power reception unit differently between during the guidance by said second guidance control unit and after completion of parking assistance for said vehicle.