WIRELESS CHARGING OF A VEHICLE POWER SOURCE

• US 20170028854A1
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Seung, Iwai, Atsushi, Schmalenberg, Paul Donald
• Granted Patent: US 10,005,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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 10/70 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: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Arrangements directed to the wireless charging of a vehicle are described. A battery of a vehicle can be charged while the vehicle is traveling on a roadway. A driving environment of the vehicle can be sensed to detect a charging marker. The charging marker can provide information relating to a location of a charge transmitter located below a travel surface of the roadway. The charge transmitter can be located forward of the vehicle in the travel direction of the roadway. The location of the charge transmitter can be determined based on information obtained from the charging marker. A travel path for the vehicle can be determined based at least partially on the location of the charge transmitter so that the charge receiver is positioned in substantial charging alignment with the charge transmitter as the vehicle passes over the charge transmitters.

Claims

1. A charging system for a vehicle comprising:

a charge receiver;

a sensor configured to detect a charging marker, the charging marker providing information relating to a location of a charge transmitter located at or below a travel surface of a roadway, the charge transmitter being located forward of the vehicle in a travel direction of the roadway; and

a processor operatively connected the sensor, the processor being configured to;

determine the location of the charge transmitter based on the information obtained from the charging marker; and

determine a travel path for the vehicle based at least partially on the location of the charge transmitter so that the charge receiver is positioned in substantial charging alignment with the charge transmitter as the vehicle passes over the charge transmitter.

2. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the charging marker is encoded, and wherein the processor is configured to obtain information from the charging marker.

3. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a camera.

4. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect lane markers on the roadway, and wherein determine a travel path for the vehicle based at least partially on the location of the charge transmitter includes determine a travel path within the detected lane markers of the roadway of the vehicle.

5. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

present the determined travel path to a vehicle occupant.

6. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

prompt a vehicle occupant for permission to implement the determined travel path; and

responsive to receiving permission to implement the determined travel path, cause the vehicle to implement the determined travel path.

7. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined travel path.

8. A charging roadway system for a vehicle comprising:

a roadway, the roadway including a travel surface;

a charge transmitter embedded in the roadway; and

a charging marker provided along the roadway, the charging marker providing information relating to a location of the charge transmitter.

9. The charging roadway system of claim 8, wherein the charge transmitter is a plurality of charge transmitters distributed across a portion of the roadway, and wherein the charging marker provides information relating to the location of the plurality of charge transmitters.

10. The charging roadway system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of charge transmitters are distributed along a travel direction of the roadway.

11. The charging roadway system of claim 8, wherein the charging marker is an encoded marker.

12. The charging roadway system of claim 8, wherein the charging marker is located on the travel surface of the roadway.

13. The charging roadway system of claim 8, wherein the charging marker is positioned above the charge transmitter, and wherein the charging marker is substantially aligned with the charge transmitter.

14. The charging roadway system of claim 8, wherein the charging marker is offset from the charge transmitter.

15. The charging roadway of claim 8, wherein information relating to a location of the charge transmitter includes information relating to the location of a center point of the charge transmitter.

16. A method of charging a battery of a vehicle while traveling on a roadway, the method comprising:

sensing a driving environment of the vehicle to detect a charging marker located therein, the charging marker providing information relating to a location of one or more charge transmitters embedded in a roadway, the one or more charge transmitters being located forward of the vehicle in the travel direction of the roadway;

determining the location of the one or more charge transmitters embedded in a roadway based on information obtained from the charging marker; and

determining a travel path for the vehicle based at least partially on the location of the one or more charge transmitters so that the charge receiver is positioned in substantial charging alignment with the one or more charge transmitter as the vehicle passes over the one or more charge transmitters.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the sensor is configured to detect lane markers on the roadway, and wherein determining the travel path for the vehicle based at least partially on the location of the charge transmitter includes determining the travel path within a boundary limit of the roadway of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16, further including:

presenting the determined travel path to a vehicle occupant.

19. The method of claim 16, further including:

causing the vehicle to implement the determined travel path.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein causing the vehicle to implement the determined travel path is performed responsive to receiving an input corresponding to permission to implement the determined travel path.