Method and system for aligning a vehicle with a wireless charging assembly

• US 9,463,707 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.), Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.), Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brushaber, Frederick
• Application Number:
  US14/562,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20160159234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/80 characterised by the intended use of the viewing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• 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 method includes: estimating a position of a driver'"'"'s eyes in a vehicle during a parking event in a parking spot that includes a wireless charging assembly in which a primary coil is installed, projecting an image onto an interior surface of the vehicle at a location based on the estimated position of the driver'"'"'s eyes to assist the driver in aligning the vehicle with the wireless charging assembly, transmitting signals from the vehicle toward a reference object located at a rear area of the parking spot and detecting echoed signals at the vehicle caused by the transmitted signals reflecting from a surface of the reference object, and listening for an alignment confirmation signal at the vehicle from the wireless charging assembly indicating that the vehicle is satisfactorily aligned with the wireless charging assembly.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

estimating a position of a driver'"'"'s eyes in a vehicle during a parking event in a parking spot that includes a wireless charging assembly in which a primary coil is installed;

projecting an image onto an interior surface of the vehicle at a location based on the estimated position of the driver'"'"'s eyes to assist the driver in aligning the vehicle with the wireless charging assembly;

transmitting signals from the vehicle toward a reference object located at a rear area of the parking spot and detecting echoed signals at the vehicle caused by the transmitted signals reflecting from a surface of the reference object;

performing one or more calculations based on the detected echoed signals to determine an alignment state of the vehicle with respect to the wireless charging assembly; and

listening for an alignment confirmation signal at the vehicle from the wireless charging assembly indicating that the vehicle is satisfactorily aligned with the wireless charging assembly,

wherein the performing of the one or more calculations based on the detected echoed signals comprises;

calculating one or more of an amplitude of the detected echoed signals and a voltage caused by the detected echoed signals;

comparing the calculated amplitude to an amplitude of an echo with an angular offset of 0°

with respect to the transmitted signals, or comparing the calculated voltage to a voltage caused by the echo with the angular offset of 0°

; and

determining whether the difference between the calculated amplitude and the amplitude of the echo with the angular offset of 0°

or the difference between the calculated voltage and the voltage caused by the echo with the angular offset of 0°

is within a predetermined range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment state of the vehicle relates to an angle of a longitudinal axis of the vehicle with respect to a surface of the reference object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing feedback to the driver indicating the alignment state of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the feedback to the driver includes one or more of a sound and a visual indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

projecting the image onto a windshield of the vehicle, so as to be located within a field of vision of the driver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the projected image is configured to be visually compatible with the reference object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the projected image is configured to be directionally aligned with the estimated position of the driver'"'"'s eyes and a target disposed on the reference object.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an angle of one or more mirrors of the vehicle; and

estimating the position of the driver'"'"'s eyes based on the determined angle of the one or more mirrors.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more mirrors includes a side mirror of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the alignment confirmation signal at the vehicle from the wireless charging assembly.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

utilizing a wireless communication channel of the vehicle in response to the received alignment confirmation signal.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving electricity at the vehicle from the wireless charging assembly after receiving the alignment confirmation signal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment confirmation signal includes a magnetic ping transmitted by the wireless charging assembly.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the signals from an ultrasonic sensor in the vehicle, wherein the signals are ultrasonic signals.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle in which a secondary coil is installed, the secondary coil being capable of receiving a wireless charge from the primary coil of the wireless charging assembly.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference object is a sign, and the surface of the reference object faces a front area of the parking spot.

17. A system comprising:

a reference object located at a rear area of a parking spot;

a heads-up display (HUD) in a vehicle that projects an image onto an interior surface of the vehicle at a location based on an estimated position of a driver'"'"'s eyes to assist the driver in aligning the vehicle with a wireless charging assembly, in which a primary coil is installed, included in the parking spot during a parking event;

an ultrasonic sensor in the vehicle that transmits ultrasonic signals toward the reference object and detects echoed signals at the vehicle caused by the transmitted signals reflecting from a surface of the reference object; and

a controller in the vehicle configured to;

i) estimate the position of the driver'"'"'s eyes based on an angle of one or more mirrors of the vehicle, ii) perform one or more calculations based on the detected echoed signals to determine an alignment state of the vehicle with respect to the wireless charging assembly, and iii) detect an alignment confirmation signal from the wireless charging assembly indicating that the vehicle is satisfactorily aligned with the wireless charging assembly,

wherein the performing of the one or more calculations based on the detected echoed signals comprises;

calculating one or more of an amplitude of the detected echoed signals and a voltage caused by the detected echoed signals;

comparing the calculated amplitude to an amplitude of an echo with an angular offset of 0°

with respect to the transmitted signals, or comparing the calculated voltage to a voltage caused by the echo with the angular offset of 0°

; and

determining whether the difference between the calculated amplitude and the amplitude of the echo with the angular offset of 0°

or the difference between the calculated voltage and the voltage caused by the echo with the angular offset of 0°

is within a predetermined range.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for a system, which includes a reference object located at a rear area of a parking spot, a heads-up display (HUD) in a vehicle that projects an image onto an interior surface of the vehicle at a location based on an estimated position of a driver'"'"'s eyes to assist the driver in aligning the vehicle with a wireless charging assembly, in which a primary coil is installed, included in the parking spot during a parking event, and an ultrasonic sensor in the vehicle that transmits ultrasonic signals toward the reference object and detects echoed signals at the vehicle caused by the transmitted signals reflecting from a surface of the reference object, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that estimate the position of the driver'"'"'s eyes based on an angle of one or more mirrors of the vehicle;

program instructions that perform one or more calculations based on the detected echoed signals to determine an alignment state of the vehicle with respect to the wireless charging assembly; and

program instructions that detect an alignment confirmation signal from the wireless charging assembly indicating that the vehicle is satisfactorily aligned with the wireless charging assembly,

wherein the performing of the one or more calculations based on the detected echoed signals comprises;

calculating one or more of an amplitude of the detected echoed signals and a voltage caused by the detected echoed signals;

comparing the calculated amplitude to an amplitude of an echo with an angular offset of 0°

with respect to the transmitted signals, or comparing the calculated voltage to a voltage caused by the echo with the angular offset of 0°

; and

determining whether the difference between the calculated amplitude and the amplitude of the echo with the angular offset of 0°

or the difference between the calculated voltage and the voltage caused by the echo with the angular offset of 0°

is within a predetermined range.