CONTACTLESS POWER TRANSFER SYSTEM, POWER RECEIVING DEVICE, AND POWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE

• US 20170214275A1
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: KATANODA, Tomoya, INOUE, Junji, TSUNEKAWA, Yuki, ABE, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 10,141,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: 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 contactless power transfer system includes a power transmission device and a power receiving device. A second electronic control unit of the power transmission device is configured to determine whether a series of manipulations including severing connection between the power transmission device and the power supply via the power supply cable, and then connecting the power transmission device with the power supply again via the power supply cable, are performed. The second electronic control unit is configured to send a predetermined signal to the power receiving device when the second electronic control unit determines that the series of manipulations are performed. A first electronic control unit of the power receiving device is configured to generate a command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the time schedule, when the first electronic control unit receives the signal.

Claims

1. A contactless power transfer system comprising:

a power transmission device; and

a power receiving device including a power receiving unit, a power storage device, and a first electronic control unit, the power receiving unit being configured to contactlessly receive electric power from the power transmission device, the power storage device being configured to store the electric power received by the power receiving unit, the first electronic control unit being configured to generate a command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, according to a preset time schedule, such that charging of the power storage device is started according to the time schedule, wherein

the power transmission device includes a power transmitting unit and a second electronic control unit, the power transmitting unit being configured to contactlessly transmit electric power obtained from a power supply provided outside the power transmission device, to the power receiving unit, in a condition where the power transmission device and the power supply are connected to each other via a power supply cable, the second electronic control unit being configured to determine whether a series of manipulations including severing connection between the power transmission device and the power supply via the power supply cable, and then connecting the power transmission device with the power supply again via the power supply cable, are performed within a predetermined period of time, the second electronic control unit being configured to send a predetermined signal to the power receiving device when the second electronic control unit determines that the series of manipulations are performed within the predetermined period of time, the first electronic control unit being configured to generate a command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the time schedule, when the first electronic control unit receives the predetermined signal in a case where the time schedule is set.

2. The contactless power transfer system according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined signal is pulsed electric power in a form of predetermined pulses;

the second electronic control unit is configured to control the power transmitting unit so as to send the pulsed electric power to the power receiving unit, when the second electronic control unit determines that the series of manipulations are performed within the predetermined period of time; and

the first electronic control unit is configured to generate a command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the time schedule, when the pulsed electric power is received by the power receiving unit in a case where the time schedule is set.

3. The contactless power transfer system according to claim 1, wherein:

the power receiving device includes a first communicating unit that communicates with the power transmission device;

the power transmission device includes a second communicating unit that communicates with the first communicating unit, and a storage unit that stores a presence or absence of a history of performance of the series of manipulations within the predetermined period of time;

the predetermined signal comprises a signal indicating the presence of the history;

the first electronic control unit is configured to control the first communicating unit so as to intermittently establish communication between the first communicating unit and the second communicating unit, when the time schedule is set;

the second electronic control unit is configured to control the second communicating unit so as to transmit the signal indicating the presence of the history to the first communicating unit, when the presence of the history is stored in the storage unit in a case where communication between the first communicating unit and the second communicating unit is established; and

the first electronic control unit is configured to generate a command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the time schedule, when the signal indicating the presence of the history is received via the first communicating unit in a case where the time schedule is set.

4. A power receiving device configured to contactlessly receive electric power from a power transmission device provided outside the power receiving device, the power transmission device including a power transmitting unit and a second electronic control unit, the power transmitting unit being configured to contactlessly transmit electric power obtained from a power supply provided outside the power transmission device, to the power receiving unit, in a condition where the power transmission device and the power supply are connected to each other via a power supply cable, the second electronic control unit being configured to determine whether a series of manipulations including severing connection between the power transmission device and the power supply via the power supply cable, and then connecting the power transmission device with the power supply via the power supply cable, are performed within a predetermined period of time, the second electronic control unit being configured to send a predetermined signal to the power receiving device when the second electronic control unit determines that the series of manipulations are performed within the predetermined period of time, the power receiving device comprising:

a power receiving unit configured to contactlessly receive electric power from the power transmission device;

a power storage device configured to store the electric power received by the power receiving unit; and

a first electronic control unit configured to generate a command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, according to a preset time schedule, such that charging of the power storage device is started according to the time schedule, the first electronic control unit being configured to generate a command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the time schedule, when the first electronic control unit receives the predetermined signal in a case where the time schedule is set.

5. A power transmission device configured to contactlessly transmit electric power to a power receiving device provided outside the power transmission device, the power receiving device including a power receiving unit, a power storage device, and a first electronic control unit, the power receiving unit being configured to contactlessly receive electric power from the power transmission device, the power storage device being configured to store the electric power received by the power receiving unit, the first electronic control unit being configured to generate a command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, according to a preset time schedule, such that charging of the power storage device is started according to the time schedule, the first electronic control unit being configured to generate a command for start of power transmission to the power transmission device, irrespective of the time schedule, when the first electronic control unit receives a predetermined signal in a case where the time schedule is set, the power transmission device comprising:

a power transmitting unit configured to contactlessly transmit electric power obtained from a power supply provided outside the power transmission device, to the power receiving unit, in a condition where the power transmission device and the power supply are connected to each other via a power supply cable; and

a second electronic control unit configured to determine whether a series of manipulations including severing connection between the power transmission device and the power supply via the power supply cable, and then connecting the power transmission device with the power supply again via the power supply cable, are performed within a predetermined period of time, the second electronic control unit being configured to send the predetermined signal to the power receiving device when the second electronic control unit determines that the series of manipulations are performed within the predetermined period of time.