VEHICLE CHARGE ASSISTANCE DEVICE AND VEHICLE INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20150343916A1
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Sungmin, Lee, Jaesung, Song, Jonghun, Kim, Younsun
• Granted Patent: US 9,919,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• 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: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A vehicle charge assistance device and a vehicle including the same are disclosed. The vehicle charge assistance device includes at least one camera mounted on a vehicle, an antenna to detect a magnetic field from a charging device, and a processor to control movement of the vehicle. The processor may generate a vehicle movement direction signal based on an object associated with the charging device in an image from the at least one camera and generate a guide signal to adjust a position of the vehicle based on the magnetic field after movement of the vehicle according to the vehicle movement direction signal. Consequently, it is possible to easily and conveniently move the vehicle to the charge system.

Claims

1. A vehicle charge assistance device comprising:

at least one camera mounted on a vehicle;

an antenna to detect a magnetic field from a charging device; and

a processor to control a movement of the vehicle using at least one signal from the at least one camera or the antenna,

wherein a first signal is generated to control movement of the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned greater than or equal to a prescribed distance from the charging device and a second signal is generated to control movement of the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned within the prescribed distance from the charging device, the first signal being different than the second signal.

2. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the first signal is generated based on an image associated with the charging device from the at least one camera and the second signal is generated based on the magnetic field to control movement of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the first signal and the second signal are both generated to control movement of the vehicle when the vehicle is within the prescribed distance, and wherein only the second signal is generated to control movement of the vehicle when the vehicle is within a second prescribed distance that is less than the prescribed distance.

4. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor determines an optimal direction of movement of the vehicle toward the charging device based on the magnetic field and generates the second signal based on the determined optimal direction of movement to control movement of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor determines an optimal direction of movement of the vehicle toward the charging device when movement is controlled by the magnetic field, and

when a direction of movement of the vehicle corresponding to the first signal is identical to the optimal direction of movement, the second signal including distance information is generated to adjust the position of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the processor recognizes an object associated with the charging device in the image from the at least one camera, the object in the image being at least one of an image of the charging device or an image of a guide member to guide movement of the vehicle to the charging device.

7. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, wherein, when an intensity of the magnetic field is greater than or equal to a prescribed level, the processor generates the first signal including direction information based on the magnetic field to adjust an orientation of the vehicle relative to the charging device, and generates the second signal to adjust a position of the vehicle based on the magnetic field after movement of the vehicle according to the direction information of the first signal.

8. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the first signal is generated based on an object associated with the charging device detected in the image from the at least one camera and the second signal is generated to adjust a position of the vehicle based on the magnetic field, and

wherein, when the object is not detected in the image, the processor generates the first signal including direction information based on the magnetic field and generates the second signal to adjust the position of the vehicle based on the magnetic field after movement of the vehicle according to the direction information in the first signal.

9. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one ultrasonic sensor, wherein

when an object associated with the charging device is not detected in an image from the at least one camera, the processor generates the first signal including direction information based on signals from the at least one ultrasonic sensor, and generates the second signal to adjust the position of the vehicle based on the magnetic field after movement of the vehicle according to direction information in the first signal.

10. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the processor generates the first signal to include direction information to move the vehicle such that a front view camera disposed at a front of the vehicle is directed toward a central region of the charging device.

11. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the processor generates the first signal to include direction information based on at least one of a central region of the charging device, a width of the vehicle, or a length of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the processor generates an optimal direction of vehicle movement based on a relative position of a battery in the vehicle to a position of the charging device.

13. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the processor combines images from a front view camera, a rear view camera, a left side view camera, and a right side view camera to generate an around view image, and generates the first signal based on an image associated with the charging device in the around view image, and

wherein the processor controls to display on a display at least one of a vehicle movement path on the around view image, an image representing a battery on the vehicle, information regarding a distance between the battery and the charging device, or information regarding a direction of movement of the vehicle together with the vehicle movement path.

14. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an output unit to output a notification message upon completion of movement of the vehicle to the charging device; and

a communication unit to transmit a charging start signal to the charging device upon completion of movement of the vehicle to the charging device and to transmit a charging end signal to the charge system upon completion of charging.

15. The vehicle charge assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit to exchange data with an external device; and

a display unit,

wherein the processor controls at least one of billing information, charge amount information, or chargeable time information from the charging device received through the communication unit to be displayed on the display unit.

16. A vehicle comprising:

a steering drive unit to drive a steering apparatus;

a brake drive unit to drive a brake apparatus;

a power source drive unit to drive a power source;

at least one camera mounted on the vehicle;

an antenna to detect a magnetic field from a charging device;

a battery configured to be wirelessly charged by the charging device; and

a processor to generate control signals to control movement of the vehicle,

wherein the processor generates a first signal based on an object associated with the charging device detected in an image from the at least one camera and generates a second signal based on the magnetic field to control movement of the vehicle subsequent to movement of the vehicle based on the first signal, and

wherein at least one of the steering drive unit, the brake drive unit, or the power source drive unit is operated based on the first signal based on the image or the second signal based on the magnetic field.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein

when a distance to the charging device is greater than or equal to a prescribed distance, the processor generates the first signal based on the object detected in the image from the at least one camera, and

when the distance to the charging device is less than the prescribed distance, the processor generates the first signal or the second signal to adjust the position of the vehicle based on the magnetic field.

18. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein, when an intensity of the magnetic field is greater than or equal to a prescribed level, the processor generates the first signal to control a direction of the vehicle based on the magnetic field and generates the second signal to adjust the position of the vehicle based on the magnetic field after movement of the vehicle according to the first signal.

19. The vehicle according to claim 16, further comprising:

a display unit,

wherein the processor combines images from a front view camera, a rear view camera, a left side view camera, and a right side view camera to generate an around view image, generates the vehicle movement direction signal based on a charge-related object in the around view image, and controls the display unit to display a vehicle movement path in the around view image, and

wherein the display unit displays at least one of an in-vehicle battery object, information regarding a distance between the battery object and the charging device, or information regarding a direction from the battery object to the charging device in addition to the vehicle movement path.

20. The vehicle according to claim 16, further comprising:

a communication unit to exchange data with an external device; and

a display unit,

wherein the processor controls at least one of billing information, charge amount information, or chargeable time information from the charging device received through the communication unit to be displayed on the display unit.