NONLINEAR SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FOR OPTIMIZATION OF WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER

• US 20140229132A1
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Indigo Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nucleus Scientific, Incorporated
• Inventors: Lafontaine, Serge R., Hunter, Ian W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,404,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/66
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2509 Details concerning sampling, digitizing or waveform capturing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 23/02 Arrangements for measuring frequency, e.g. pulse repetition rate; Arrangements for measuring period of current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 25/00 Arrangements for measuring phase angle between a voltage and a current or between voltages or currents
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/001 Measuring interference from external sources to, or emission from, the device under test, e.g. EMC, EMI, EMP or ESD testing measuring electromagnetic fields G01R29/08; circuits for generating HV pulses in dielectric strength testing G01R31/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• 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 method of detecting whether a receiver coil is near a transmit coil in a wireless power transfer system (WPTS), the method involving: applying a pseudo-random signal to the transmit coil; while the pseudo-random signal is being applied to the transmit coil, recording one or more signals produced within the WPTS in response to the applied pseudo-random signal; by using the one or more recorded signals, generating a dynamic system model for some aspect of the WPTS; and using the generated dynamic system model in combination with stored training data to determine whether an object having characteristics distinguishing the object as a receiver coil is near the transmit coil.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a waveform for a drive signal to a transmit coil in a wireless power transfer system (WPTS), said method comprising:

applying a pseudo-random signal to the transmit coil;

while the pseudo-random signal is being applied to the transmit coil, recording one or more signals produced within the WPTS in response to the applied pseudo-random signal;

by using the one or more recorded signals, generating a dynamic system model for some aspect of the WPTS; and

conducting a search for an optimum waveform for the drive signal, wherein conducting the search comprises repeatedly using the generated dynamic system model to simulate a response to the drive signal while varying the waveform of the drive signal until the optimum waveform is found.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting a search further comprises:

computing an output power from the simulated response;

using the computed output power as an objective function; and

conducting the search by using the objective function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more signals produced within the WPTS comprise a signal produced by the transmit coil in response to the applied pseudo-random signal.

4. A wireless power transfer system comprising:

a transmit coil;

a power transmitter circuit connected to the transmit coil;

a sensor circuit connected to the transmit coil;

a controller for controlling the power transmitter circuit and the sensor circuit, wherein said controller includes a memory for storing a nonlinear filter function and a processor system programmed to;

cause the power transmitter to apply a pseudo-random signal to the transmit coil;

while the pseudo-random signal is being applied to the transmit coil, cause the sensor circuit to record one or more signals produced within the WPTS in response to the applied pseudo-random signal;

by using the one or more recorded signals, generate a dynamic system model for some aspect of the WPTS; and

conduct a search for an optimum waveform for the drive signal by repeatedly using the generated dynamic system model to simulate a response to the drive signal while varying the waveform of the drive signal until the optimum waveform is found.