Power transmission system and method, power transmitting apparatus and power receiving apparatus

• US 9,620,964 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Terao, Kyoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaplan, Hal
• Application Number:
  US14/402,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20150303701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• 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: G01S 15/87 Combinations of sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/10 using induction coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/12 using one transmitter and one receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power transmission system (1, 2) is provided with a power transmitting apparatus (11, 12, 13) having a power transmission coil (101) and a power receiving apparatus (21, 22) having a power reception coil (201) disposed at a distance from the power transmission coil, and transmits and receives electric power in a wireless manner between the power transmission coil and the power reception coil. The power transmission system is provided with: a foreign body detecting device (106, 206) configured to detect a foreign body positioned in surroundings of the power transmission coil and the power reception coil and detect a relative position of the detected foreign body to the power transmission coil or the power reception coil; and a power controlling device (104) configured to control the power transmitting apparatus to control the transmitted and received electric power according to the detected relative position.

Claims

1. A power transmitting apparatus comprising a power transmission coil and configured to transmit electric power in a wireless manner to a power receiving apparatus, said power transmitting apparatus comprising:

a foreign body detecting device configured to detect a foreign body positioned in surroundings of the power transmission coil;

a coil displacement detecting device configured to detect displacement between the power transmission coil and a power reception coil of the power receiving apparatus; and

a power controlling device configured to control electric power supplied to the power transmission coil so that a magnetic flux density at a position of the detected foreign body is less than or equal to a predetermined value, on the basis of output of the foreign body detecting device and output of the coil displacement detecting device.

2. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power controlling device controls electric power supplied to the power transmission coil on the basis of the output of the foreign body detecting device, while correcting a leaking range of a magnetic field on the basis of the output of the coil displacement detecting device.

3. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coil displacement detecting device detects a gap between the power transmission coil and the power reception coil.

4. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coil displacement detecting device detects a position shift amount between the power transmission coil and the power reception coil viewed in a planar manner from above the power transmission coil.

5. A power transmitting apparatus comprising a power transmission coil and configured to transmit electric power in a wireless manner to a power receiving apparatus, said power transmitting apparatus comprising:

a foreign body detecting device configured to detect a foreign body positioned in surroundings of the power transmission coil;

a gap changing device configured to change a gap between the power transmission coil and the power reception coil; and

a controlling device configured to control the gap changing device so that a magnetic flux density at a position of the detected foreign body is less than or equal to a predetermined value, on the basis of output of the foreign body detecting device.