Contactless charging system, charging station, and method of controlling contactless charging system

• US 9,522,605 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2015
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Satoshi, Ichikawa, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek, Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US14/595,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20150202971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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 53/39 with position-responsive activation of primary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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

A charging station transmits weak electric power from an available power transmission device of a plurality of power transmission devices when a second communication unit receives a power transmission request signal from a first communication unit. The charging station performs pairing between a vehicle and the power transmission device with which the vehicle has been aligned, in response to reception of an alignment completion signal from the vehicle. The charging station transmits a charging cancellation signal to a vehicle other than the vehicle that has been aligned with the power transmission device, when the pairing is completed.

Claims

1. A contactless charging system comprising a vehicle and a charging station,

said vehicle including

a power reception device, and

a first communication unit,

said charging station including

a second communication unit, and

a plurality of power transmission devices,

said charging station transmitting weak electric power from an available power transmission device of said plurality of power transmission devices, when said second communication unit receives a power transmission request signal from said first communication unit,

said charging station performing a pairing process between said vehicle and the power transmission device with which said vehicle has been aligned, in response to reception of an alignment completion signal from said vehicle,

said charging station transmitting a charging cancellation signal to a vehicle other than said vehicle, when said pairing process is completed.

2. A charging station comprising:

a plurality of power transmission devices each configured to transmit electric power to a power reception device of a vehicle in a contactless manner;

a communication unit for communicating with said vehicle; and

a control unit that controls said plurality of power transmission devices to output weak electric power from an available power transmission device of said plurality of power transmission devices, when said communication unit receives a power transmission request signal from said vehicle,

said control unit further performing a pairing process between said vehicle and the power transmission device with which said vehicle has been aligned, in response to reception of an alignment completion signal from said vehicle,

said control unit causing said communication unit to transmit a charging cancellation signal to a vehicle other than said vehicle, when said pairing process is completed.

3. A method of controlling a contactless charging system, said contactless charging system including a vehicle having a power reception device, and a charging station having a plurality of power transmission devices, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting weak electric power from an available power transmission device of said plurality of power transmission devices, when a power transmission request signal is transmitted from said vehicle to said charging station;

performing a pairing process between said vehicle and the power transmission device with which said vehicle has been aligned, in response to reception by said charging station of an alignment completion signal from said vehicle; and

transmitting a charging cancellation signal to a vehicle other than said vehicle from said charging station, when said pairing process is completed.