POSITION ALIGNMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER

• US 20200136438A1
• Filed: 10/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Seong, Jae Yong
• Granted Patent: US 11,177,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/0426 Collocated with electrical equipment other than beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• 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 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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 position alignment method, performed by a vehicle assembly (VA) including a reception pad receiving power transmitted from a transmission pad of a ground assembly (GA) is provided. The method includes transmitting a magnetic field using a transmitting device disposed on a reception pad, the transmitting device operating with low frequency (LF); receiving a magnetic field related value from the GA, the magnetic field being detected by an LF receiving device disposed on the transmission pad of the GA; and calculating, by a controller, a distance between the transmission pad and the reception pad using the magnetic field related value. A part of the transmitting device is disposed to arrange a magnetic field formed by the part of the transmitting device in a 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270° direction with respect to a magnetic field formed by a part of the LF receiving device.

Claims

1. A position alignment method performed by a vehicle assembly (VA) including a reception pad receiving power transmitted from a transmission pad of a ground assembly (GA), the position alignment method comprising:

transmitting at least one magnetic field by one or more transmitting devices disposed on the reception pad, the one or more transmitting devices operating with low frequency (LF);

receiving at the reception pad at least one magnetic field related value from the GA, the at least one magnetic field being detected by one or more LF receiving devices disposed on the transmission pad of the GA; and

calculating, by a controller, a distance between the transmission pad and the reception pad using the at least one magnetic field related value,

wherein at least one part of the one or more transmitting devices is disposed to arrange at least one magnetic field formed by the at least one part of the one or more transmitting devices in a 0°

, 90°

, 180°

, or 270°

direction with respect to at least one magnetic field formed by at least one part of the one or more LF receiving devices.

2. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more transmitting devices include three or more LF antennas disposed on respective sides of the reception pad.

3. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more LF receiving devices include three or more LF antennas or LF sensors disposed on respective sides of the transmission pad.

4. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more transmitting devices or at least one of the one or more LF receiving devices is a single-axis LF antenna.

5. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more transmitting devices are disposed to arrange a longitudinal direction of a center of the one or more transmitting devices to be parallel to a side of the reception pad.

6. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more LF receiving devices are disposed to arrange a longitudinal direction of a center of the one or more LF receiving devices to be parallel to a side of the transmission pad.

7. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein a first transmitting device among the one or more transmitting devices is disposed on a side different from a side on which a second transmitting device among the one or more transmitting devices is disposed, and the first transmitting device is disposed perpendicular to the second transmitting device.

8. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein a first LF receiving device among the one or more LF receiving devices is disposed on a side different from a side on which a second LF receiving device among the one or more LF receiving devices is disposed, and the first LF receiving device is disposed perpendicular to the second LF receiving device.

9. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more transmitting devices and the one or more LF receiving devices are disposed at points where a magnetic field formed by the reception coil of the reception pad or the transmission coil of the transmission pad is uniformly distributed.

10. A magnetic field detection apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store at least one instruction executable by the processor,

wherein, when executed by the processor, the at least one instruction configures the processor to;

detect a low frequency (LF) magnetic field transmitted from one or more transmitting devices disposed on a reception pad of a vehicle assembly (VA);

measure at least one magnetic field related value detected by one or more LF receiving devices disposed on a transmission pad of a ground assembly (GA); and

calculate a distance between the transmission pad and the reception pad using the at least one magnetic field related value,

wherein at least one part of the one or more LF receiving devices is disposed to arrange at least one magnetic field formed by the at least one part of the one or more LF receiving devices in a 0°

, 90°

, 180°

, or 270°

direction with respect to at least one magnetic field formed by at least one part of the one or more transmitting devices.

11. The magnetic field detection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the one or more LF receiving devices include three or more LF antennas or LF sensors disposed on respective sides of the transmission pad.

12. The magnetic field detection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the one or more LF receiving devices are disposed to arrange a longitudinal direction of a center of the one or more LF receiving devices to be parallel to a side of the transmission pad.

13. The magnetic field detection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a first LF receiving device among the one or more LF receiving devices is disposed on a side different from a side on which a second LF receiving device among the one or more LF receiving devices is disposed, and the first LF receiving device is disposed perpendicular to the second LF receiving device.

14. A position alignment apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing at least one instruction executable by the processor,

wherein, when executed by the processor, the at least one instruction configures the processor to;

transmit at least one magnetic field using one or more transmitting devices operating with Low Frequency (LF) disposed on a reception pad receiving power transferred by a transmission pad of a ground assembly (GA);

receive from the GA at least one magnetic field related value detected by one or more LF receiving devices disposed on the transmission pad; and

perform position alignment between the transmission pad and the reception pad using the at least one magnetic field related value,

wherein at least one part of the one or more transmitting devices is disposed to arrange at least one magnetic field formed by the at least one part of the one or more transmitting devices in a 0°

, 90°

, 180°

, or 270°

direction with respect to at least one magnetic field formed by at least one part of the one or more LF receiving devices.

15. The position alignment apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the one or more transmitting devices include three or more LF antennas disposed on respective sides of the reception pad.

16. The position alignment apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the one or more transmitting devices are disposed to arrange a longitudinal direction of a center of the one or more transmitting devices to be parallel to a side of the transmission pad.

17. The position alignment apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a first transmitting device among the one or more transmitting devices is disposed on a side different from a side on which a second transmitting device among the one or more transmitting devices is disposed, and the first transmitting device is disposed perpendicular to the second transmitting device.

18. The position alignment apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the one or more transmitting devices and the one or more LF receiving devices are disposed at points where a magnetic field formed by the reception coil of the reception pad or the transmission coil of the transmission pad is uniformly distributed.

19. The position alignment apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more transmitting devices or at least one of the one or more LF receiving devices is a single-axis LF antenna.

20. The position alignment apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more transmitting devices or at least one of the one ore more LF receiving devices is a ferrite rod antenna.