Array coil system

• US 9,950,637 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyashita, Norihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): SKIBINSKI, THOMAS S
• Application Number:
  US15/172,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20160276876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 320107-115
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• 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 50/60 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

An array coil system includes a detector coil having a plurality of coils arranged in an array, and a plurality of resistances. Both terminals of each of the coils of the detector coil are connected to a ground or a DC voltage via associated ones of the resistances.

Claims

1. An array coil system, comprising:

a detector coil, which includes a plurality of coils arranged in an array;

a plurality of resistances, wherein one resistance of the plurality of resistances is connected to each terminal of each coil of the plurality of coils;

a resonant capacitive element connected between both terminals of an associated one of the plurality of coils of the detector coil;

a transmission circuit that generates high-frequency power having a predetermined frequency and outputs power to the detector coil; and

a switch circuit that performs switching to select, from the plurality of coils of the detector coil, one coil to be fed with the power generated by the transmission circuit,

wherein both terminals of a coil of the detector coil, which is neither selected by the switch circuit, nor connected to the transmission circuit, are connected to a ground or a DC voltage via associated resistances of the plurality of resistances.

2. The array coil system of claim 1,

wherein a resonant capacitive element that forms part of a resonance circuit is connected between both terminals of an associated one of the coils of the detector coil, and

the resonant capacitive element is arranged near the detector coil and connected to the detector coil.

3. The array coil system of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission circuit which generates high-frequency power having a predetermined frequency and outputs the power to the detector coil; and

a high-frequency oscillation source which feeds high-frequency power having a predetermined frequency to a power transmitting coil so as to perform non-contact charge,

wherein the frequency of the high-frequency power output by the transmission circuit is set to be different from the frequency of the high-frequency power output by the high-frequency oscillation source, and

a circuit protection filter, which is characterized as allowing the frequency of the high-frequency power output by the transmission circuit to pass therethrough and as blocking the frequency of the high-frequency power output by the high-frequency oscillation source, that is connected to the detector coil.

4. The array coil system of claim 1,

wherein each of the coils of the detector coil is designed to have a smaller dimension than a power transmitting coil.

5. The array coil system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power transmitting coil case which houses a power transmitting coil,

wherein the detector coil is arranged above the power transmitting coil and housed in the power transmitting coil case, and

the detector coil is arranged such that a distance from a surface of the power transmitting coil case to the detector coil is shorter than a distance from the power transmitting coil to the detector coil.