Vehicle parking assist system, vehicle including the same, and vehicle parking assist method

• US 8,423,223 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji, Nakamura, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, RODNEY ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US13/508,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/23, 701/41, 701/70, 701/116, 340/932.2, 340/988, 340/436, 340/437, 340/438, 348/148, 455/39
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• 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 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• 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 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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

A vehicle parking assist system includes: a camera; a first vehicle guiding section that recognizes the position of a power transmitter external to a vehicle based on the image obtained via the camera to guide the vehicle to the power transmitter; a power receiver that receives electric power from the power transmitter in a non-contact manner; and a second vehicle guiding section that guides the vehicle based on the electric power received by the power receiver. The control section executes a process of stopping the vehicle when the electric power received by the power receiver from the power transmitter does not satisfy a first condition, even after the control section has caused the vehicle driving section to move the vehicle beyond a predetermined distance after the first vehicle guiding section becomes unable to detect the position of the power transmitter based on the image.

Claims

1. A vehicle parking assist system characterized by comprising:

a camera that captures an image of an area near a vehicle;

a first vehicle guiding section that recognizes a position of an electric power transmitting unit external to the vehicle based on the image obtained via the camera to guide the vehicle to the electric power transmitting unit;

an electric power receiving section that receives electric power from the electric power transmitting unit in a non-contact manner;

a second vehicle guiding section that guides the vehicle based on the electric power received by the electric power receiving section; and

a control section that causes the vehicle to move by controlling a vehicle driving section that drives the vehicle, based on outputs from the first and second vehicle guiding sections,

wherein the control section executes a process of stopping the vehicle when the electric power received by the electric power receiving section from the electric power transmitting unit does not satisfy a first condition that the electric power is equal to or higher than a first threshold value, even after the control section has caused the vehicle driving section to move the vehicle beyond a predetermined distance after the first vehicle guiding section becomes unable to detect the position of the electric power transmitting unit based on the image.

2. A vehicle parking assist method characterized by comprising:

based on an image obtained via a camera that captures an image of an area near a vehicle, recognizing a position of an electric power transmitting unit external to the vehicle;

guiding the vehicle to the electric power transmitting unit based on the image;

receiving electric power from the electric power transmitting unit via an electric power receiving section that receives the electric power in a non-contact manner;

guiding the vehicle based on the electric power received by the electric power receiving section;

causing the vehicle to move by performing control to drive the vehicle, according to the guiding based on the image and the guiding based on the electric power; and

stopping the vehicle when the electric power received by the electric power receiving section from the electric power transmitting unit does not satisfy a first condition that the electric power is equal to or higher than a first threshold value, even after the vehicle has been moved beyond a predetermined distance after it becomes impossible to detect the position of the electric power transmitting unit based on the image.

3. A vehicle comprising:

an electric power receiving section that receives electric power from an electric power transmitting unit in a non-contact manner; and

a controller including a guiding section that guides a vehicle based on the received electric power received by the electric power receiving section, wherein

the controller is configured to perform at least one of requesting the electric power transmitting unit to stop transmitting the electric power, stopping movement of the vehicle providing notification to the operator when the received electric power does not satisfy the predetermined condition even after the vehicle has moved beyond a predetermined distance after the guiding section starts guiding the vehicle, and providing notification to the operator when received electric power that varies as the vehicle moves does not satisfy a predetermined condition while the electric power is transmitted from the electric power transmitting unit.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the controller is configured to perform at least one of the requesting the electric power transmitting unit to stop transmitting the electric power, the stopping movement of the vehicle, and the providing notification to the operator when the received electric power does not satisfy the predetermined condition even after the vehicle has moved a predetermined distance while the electric power is transmitted from the electric power transmitting unit.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the controller includes:

a vehicle driving section that drives the vehicle, based on an output from the guiding section; and

a control section that causes the vehicle to move by controlling the vehicle driving section.

6. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the predetermined condition is that the received electric power is equal to or higher than a first threshold value.

7. The vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

a detection section that detects the received electric power received by the electric power receiving section.

8. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the controller is configured to request the electric power transmitting unit to start transmitting the electric power when a shift position is changed to a parking range after the electric power transmitting unit is requested to stop transmitting the electric power because the received electric power that varies as the vehicle moves does not satisfy the predetermined condition while the electric power is transmitted from the electric power transmitting unit.

9. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the controller is configured to, after the received electric power that varies as the vehicle moves satisfies the predetermined condition while the electric power is transmitted from the electric power transmitting unit, request the electric power transmitting unit to transmit the electric power that is higher than the electric power that was transmitted from the electric power transmitting unit before the received electric power satisfied the predetermined condition.

10. The vehicle according to 3, wherein

the controller is configured to, after the received electric power that varies as the vehicle moves satisfies the predetermined condition while the electric power is transmitted from the electric power transmitting unit and a shift position is changed to a parking range, request the electric power transmitting unit to transmit the electric power that is higher than the electric power that was transmitted from the electric power transmitting unit before the received electric power satisfied the predetermined condition.

11. A vehicle parking assist system comprising:

an electric power receiving section that receives electric power from an electric power transmitting unit in a non-contact manner;

a guiding section that guides a vehicle based on the received electric power received by the electric power receiving section; and

a control section that causes the vehicle to move by controlling a vehicle driving section that drives the vehicle, based on an output from the guiding section, wherein

the control section is configured to perform at least one of stopping movement of the vehicle, providing notification to an operator, and requesting the electric power transmitting unit to stop transmitting the electric power when the received electric power received by the electric power receiving section from the electric power transmitting unit does not satisfy a predetermined condition even after the control section has caused, through the vehicle driving section, the vehicle to move beyond a predetermined distance after the guiding section starts causing the vehicle to move.