Moving object, wireless power feeding system, and wireless power feeding method

• US 8,624,548 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Koyama, Jun, Shionoiri, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/018,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20110193520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/34 Wheel chairs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• 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 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• 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: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• 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

An object is to provide a moving object structure capable of reducing power loss caused when power is supplied from a power feeding device to a moving object by wireless communication. Another object is to provide a moving object structure capable of reducing the strength of a radio wave radiated to the surroundings. Before power is supplied to a moving object, a radio wave for alignment of antennas is output from a power feeding device. That is, radio waves are output from a power feeding device in two stages. In a first stage, a radio wave is output to align positions of antennas of the power feeding device and the moving object. In a second stage, a radio wave is output to supply power from the power feeding device to the moving object.

Claims

1. A moving object comprising:

an antenna circuit configured to generate a first electric signal and a second electric signal from a first radio wave and a second radio wave sequentially transmitted from a power feeding device, respectively;

a signal processing circuit configured to extract data on a positional relationship between the antenna circuit and the power feeding device, using the first electric signal;

a secondary battery configured to store electric energy using the second electric signal;

an electric motor configured to receive the electric energy from the secondary battery;

an oscillator circuit configured to generate a signal having a certain frequency; and

a modulation circuit configured to apply a voltage to the antenna circuit in accordance with a start signal and the signal having the certain frequency,

wherein the start signal is generated in the signal processing circuit.

2. The moving object according to claim 1,

wherein the antenna circuit comprises an antenna including a conductor that has a spiral shape, and a capacitor.

3. The moving object according to claim 1,

wherein the antenna circuit is configured to transmit a third radio wave which is generated in accordance with the start signal, to the power feeding device.

4. The moving object according to claim 1, further comprising an output device configured to output the extracted data.

5. The moving object according to claim 1,

wherein the moving object is one selected from the group consisting of automobiles, motorized bicycles, aircrafts, boats, and railroad cars.

6. A moving object comprising:

an antenna circuit configured to generate a first electric signal and a second electric signal from a first radio wave and a second radio wave sequentially transmitted from a power feeding device, respectively;

a signal processing circuit configured to extract data on a positional relationship between the antenna circuit and the power feeding device, using the first electric signal, the signal processing circuit being configured to generate a third electric signal for instructing the power feeding device to transmit the second radio wave, in accordance with the data;

a secondary battery configured to store electric energy using the second electric signal; and

an electric motor configured to receive the electric energy from the secondary battery, wherein the antenna circuit is configured to generate a third radio wave from the third electric signal.

7. The moving object according to claim 6,

wherein the antenna circuit comprises an antenna including a conductor that has a spiral shape, and a capacitor.

8. The moving object according to claim 6, further comprising:

an oscillator circuit configured to generate a signal having a certain frequency; and

a modulation circuit configured to apply a voltage to the antenna circuit in accordance with a start signal and the signal having the certain frequency,

wherein the start signal is generated in the signal processing circuit.

9. The moving object according to claim 6,

wherein the antenna circuit is configured to transmit a fourth radio wave which is generated in accordance with a start signal, to the power feeding device.

10. The moving object according to claim 6, further comprising an output device configured to output the extracted data.

11. The moving object according to claim 6,

wherein the moving object is one selected from the group consisting of automobiles, motorized bicycles, aircrafts, boats, and railroad cars.

12. A wireless power feeding system comprising:

a power feeding device including a first antenna circuit; and

a moving object,

wherein the moving object includes;

a second antenna circuit configured to generate a first electric signal and a second electric signal from a first radio wave and a second radio wave sequentially transmitted from the first antenna circuit, respectively;

a signal processing circuit configured to extract data on a positional relationship between the first antenna circuit and the second antenna circuit, using the first electric signal;

a secondary battery configured to store electric energy using the second electric signal;

an electric motor configured to receive the electric energy from the secondary battery,

an oscillator circuit configured to generate a signal having a certain frequency; and

a modulation circuit configured to apply a voltage to the second antenna circuit in accordance with a start signal and the signal having the certain frequency, and

wherein the start signal is generated in the signal processing circuit.

13. The wireless power feeding system according to claim 12,

wherein the first antenna circuit or the second antenna circuit comprises an antenna including a conductor that has a spiral shape, and a capacitor.

14. A wireless power feeding system comprising:

a power feeding device including a first antenna circuit; and

a moving object,

wherein the moving object includes;

a second antenna circuit configured to generate a first electric signal and a second electric signal from a first radio wave and a second radio wave sequentially transmitted from the first antenna circuit, respectively;

a signal processing circuit configured to extract data on a positional relationship between the first antenna circuit and the second antenna circuit using the first electric signal, the signal processing circuit being configured to generate a third electric signal for instructing the power feeding device to transmit the second radio wave, in accordance with the data;

a secondary battery configured to store electric energy using the second electric signal; and

an electric motor configured to receive the electric energy from the secondary battery, and

wherein the second antenna circuit is configured to generate a third radio wave from the third electric signal.

15. The wireless power feeding system according to claim 14,

wherein the first antenna circuit or the second antenna circuit includes an antenna including a conductor that has a spiral shape, and a capacitor.

16. A wireless power feeding method comprising:

converting a first radio wave transmitted from a power feeding device into an electric signal in a moving object;

extracting data on a positional relationship between an antenna circuit of the power feeding device and an antenna circuit of the moving object, from the electric signal;

transmitting a second radio wave from the power feeding device after modifying the positional relationship based on the data;

charging a secondary battery of the moving object using the second radio wave;

generating a start signal in a signal processing circuit of the moving object;

generating a signal having a certain frequency in an oscillator circuit in the moving object; and

applying a voltage to the antenna circuit of the moving object in accordance with the start signal and the signal having the certain frequency in a modulation circuit.

17. The wireless power feeding method according to claim 16, further comprising a step of:

transmitting a third radio wave which is generated in accordance with the start signal, to the power feeding device by the antenna circuit.

18. The wireless power feeding method according to claim 16, further comprising a step of outputting the extracted data by an output device in the moving object.

19. The wireless power feeding method according to claim 16,

wherein the moving object is one selected from the group consisting of automobiles, motorized bicycles, aircrafts, boats, and railroad cars.

20. A wireless power feeding method comprising:

converting a first radio wave transmitted from a power feeding device into an electric signal in a moving object;

extracting data on a positional relationship between an antenna circuit of the power feeding device and an antenna circuit of the moving object, from the electric signal;

transmitting a second radio wave from the power feeding device after modifying the positional relationship by changing position or direction of the moving object based on the data;

charging a secondary battery of the moving object using the second radio wave;

generating a start signal in a signal processing circuit of the moving object;

generating a signal having a certain frequency in an oscillator circuit in the moving object; and

applying a voltage to the antenna circuit of the moving object in accordance with the start signal and the signal having the certain frequency in a modulation circuit.

21. The wireless power feeding method according to claim 20, further comprising a step of:

transmitting a third radio wave which is generated in accordance with the start signal, to the power feeding device by the antenna circuit of the moving object.

22. The wireless power feeding method according to claim 20, further comprising a step of outputting the extracted data by an output device in the moving object.

23. The wireless power feeding method according to claim 20,

wherein the moving object is one selected from the group consisting of automobiles, motorized bicycles, aircrafts, boats, and railroad cars.

24. A wireless power feeding method comprising:

converting a first radio wave transmitted from a power feeding device into an electric signal in a moving object;

extracting data on a positional relationship between an antenna circuit of the power feeding device and an antenna circuit of the moving object, from the electric signal;

transmitting a second radio wave from the power feeding device after modifying the positional relationship by changing position or direction of the power feeding device based on the data;

charging a secondary battery of the moving object using the second radio wave;

generating a start signal in a signal processing circuit of the moving object;

generating a signal having a certain frequency in an oscillator circuit in the moving object; and

applying a voltage to the antenna circuit of the moving object in accordance with the start signal and the signal having the certain frequency in a modulation circuit.

25. The wireless power feeding method according to claim 24, further comprising a step of:

transmitting a third radio wave which is generated in accordance with the start signal, to the power feeding device by the antenna circuit of the moving object.

26. The wireless power feeding method according to claim 24, further comprising a step of outputting the extracted data by an output device in the moving object.

27. The wireless power feeding method according to claim 24,

wherein the moving object is one selected from the group consisting of automobiles, motorized bicycles, aircrafts, boats, and railroad cars.