Vehicle alignment for inductive charging

• US 8,513,915 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Patel, Vipul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US12/909,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/119, 320/115, 701/300
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• 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 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• 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 1/028 using a RF signal
• 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

Vehicle alignment for inductive charging includes a control system and logic configured to execute on the control system. The logic is configured to define a first orientation for a first antenna and a second antenna, which are disposed on a vehicle. The logic is also configured to define a second orientation specifying a location of a vehicle charging device disposed on the vehicle relative to the first and second antennae. The logic is further configured to determine a location of an inductive charging device relative to the vehicle by performing triangulation analysis using data from the first and second orientations in conjunction with signals received from the first and second antennae. The logic is also configured to calculate a direction to the location using voltage values from the signals, such that movement of the vehicle in the direction brings the vehicle charging device closer to the inductive charging device.

Claims

1. A system of vehicle alignment for inductive charging, comprising:

a control system; and

logic configured to execute on the control system, the logic implementing a method, the method comprising;

defining a first orientation for a first antenna and a second antenna, the first antenna and the second antenna disposed on a vehicle;

defining a second orientation specifying a location of a vehicle charging device disposed on the vehicle relative to the first antenna and the second antenna;

determining a location of an inductive charging device relative to the vehicle by performing triangulation analysis using data from the first orientation and the second orientation in conjunction with signals received from each of the first antenna and the second antenna;

calculating a direction to the location using voltage values from the signals, such that movement of the vehicle in the direction brings the vehicle charging device closer to the inductive charging device; and

providing guide information configured to direct movement of the vehicle in the direction of the location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are transmission loop antennae.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first orientation comprises the first antenna and the second antenna each disposed symmetrically along an axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle; and

calculating the direction to the location comprises comparing the voltage values from each of the first antenna and the second antenna, and directing the vehicle to move in the direction of the location when the voltage value of the antenna closest to the location is greater than the voltage value of the antenna furthest away from the location.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the logic further implements:

directing the vehicle to discontinue movement when each of the voltage values is the same and has reached a defined maximum value.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein defining the first orientation comprises:

defining a position of the first antenna in relation to a position of the second antenna;

identifying any skew in voltage values resulting from the first orientation; and

directing the vehicle to move in the direction of the location when one of the voltage values received reaches a threshold value that compensates for the skew.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the logic further implements:

directing the vehicle to discontinue movement when one of the voltage values received reaches a maximum configured power level for the one of the first antenna and the second antenna.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic further implements:

monitoring voltage values received from the first antenna and the second antenna during movement of the vehicle;

recalculating the direction of the vehicle based upon changes in the voltage values resulting from movement of the vehicle; and

providing guidance information to the vehicle responsive to the re-calculating.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein providing guidance information to the vehicle includes at least one of:

activating a directional signal on the vehicle corresponding to the direction in which the vehicle is guided;

displaying directional data on a navigation system of the vehicle; and

directing an automated parking feature to move the vehicle in the location.

20. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein defining the first orientation comprises:

defining a position of the first antenna in relation to a position of the second antenna;

identifying any skew in voltage values resulting from the first orientation; and

directing the vehicle to move in the direction of the location when one of the voltage values received reaches a threshold value that compensates for the skew.

9. A method of vehicle alignment for inductive charging, comprising:

defining a first orientation for a first antenna and a second antenna, the first antenna and the second antenna disposed on a vehicle;

defining a second orientation specifying a location of a vehicle charging device disposed on the vehicle relative to the first antenna and the second antenna;

determining a location of an inductive charging device relative to the vehicle by performing triangulation analysis using data from the first orientation and the second orientation in conjunction with signals received from each of the first antenna and the second antenna;

calculating a direction to the location using voltage values from the signals, such that movement of the vehicle in the direction brings the vehicle charging device closer to the inductive charging device; and

providing guide information configured to direct movement of the vehicle in the direction of the location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are transmission loop antennae.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first orientation comprises the first antenna and the second antenna each disposed symmetrically along an axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle; and

calculating the direction to the location comprises comparing the voltage values from each of the first antenna and the second antenna, and directing the vehicle to move in the direction of the location when the voltage value of the antenna closest to the location is greater than the voltage value of the antenna furthest away from the location.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

directing the vehicle to discontinue movement when each of the voltage values is the same and has reached a defined maximum value.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein defining the first orientation comprises:

defining a position of the first antenna in relation to a position of the second antenna;

identifying any skew in voltage values resulting from the first orientation; and

directing the vehicle to move in the direction of the location when one of the voltage values received reaches a threshold value that compensates for the skew.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

directing the vehicle to discontinue movement when one of the voltage values received reaches a maximum configured power level for the one of the first antenna and the second antenna.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring voltage values received from the first antenna and the second antenna during movement of the vehicle;

recalculating the direction of the vehicle based upon changes in the voltage values resulting from movement of the vehicle; and

providing guidance information to the vehicle responsive to the re-calculating.

16. A computer program product for implementing vehicle alignment for inductive charging, the computer program product comprising a storage medium with instructions encoded thereon, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

defining a first orientation for a first antenna and a second antenna, the first antenna and the second antenna disposed on a vehicle;

defining a second orientation specifying a location of a vehicle charging device disposed on the vehicle relative to the first antenna and the second antenna;

determining a location of an inductive charging device relative to the vehicle by performing triangulation analysis using data from the first orientation and the second orientation in conjunction with signals received from each of the first antenna and the second antenna;

calculating a direction to the location using voltage values from the signals, such that movement of the vehicle in the direction brings the vehicle charging device closer to the inductive charging device; and

providing guide information configured to direct movement of the vehicle in the direction of the location.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are transmission loop antennae.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein:

the first orientation comprises the first antenna and the second antenna each disposed symmetrically along an axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle; and

calculating the direction to the location comprises comparing the voltage values from each of the first antenna and the second antenna, and directing the vehicle to move in the direction of the location when the voltage value of the antenna closest to the location is greater than the voltage value of the antenna furthest away from the location.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

directing the vehicle to discontinue movement when each of the voltage values is the same and have reached a defined maximum value.