Method and apparatus for position alignment using low-frequency antennas in wireless power transfer system

• US 10,622,846 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2018
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Seong, Jae Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Huy Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frederiksen, David B
• Application Number:
  US15/892,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20180241258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• 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 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B7/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 90/12 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 position alignment method for position alignment between a position alignment apparatus including a reception pad and a magnetic field detection apparatus including a transmission pad which performs wireless power transfer (WPT) includes: connecting, by the position alignment apparatus, to the magnetic field detection apparatus using wireless communication, wherein at least one antenna is located in the transmission pad; radiating, by the position alignment apparatus, at least one magnetic field using at least one antenna located in the reception pad; receiving, by the position alignment apparatus, magnetic field measurement values from the magnetic field detection apparatus; and obtaining, by the position alignment apparatus, information indicating a positional difference between the reception pad and the transmission pad by comparing the magnetic field measurement values with previously-stored reference values.

Claims

1. A position alignment method for position alignment between a position alignment apparatus including a reception pad and a magnetic field detection apparatus including a transmission pad which performs wireless power transfer (WPT), the position alignment method comprising:

connecting, by the position alignment apparatus, to the magnetic field detection apparatus using wireless communication, wherein at least one antenna is located in the transmission pad;

radiating, by the position alignment apparatus, at least one magnetic field using at least one antenna located in the reception pad;

receiving, by the position alignment apparatus, magnetic field measurement values from the magnetic field detection apparatus; and

obtaining, by the position alignment apparatus, information indicating a positional difference between the reception pad and the transmission pad by comparing the magnetic field measurement values with previously-stored reference values,

wherein the at least one antenna located in the reception pad includes two antennas located in a first region and a second region, respectively, into which the reception pad is divided in a left-right direction,

wherein the at least one antenna located in the transmission pad includes four antennas located in an upper left region, an upper right region, a lower left region, and a lower right region, respectively,

wherein the upper left region, the upper right region, the lower left region, and the lower right region have a same size, and

wherein the magnetic field measurement values include;

a measurement value of a first magnetic flux detected by a first antenna of the four antennas in the transmission pad based on magnetic field radiated by a first antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad and a second antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad;

a measurement value of a second magnetic flux detected by a second antenna of the four antennas in the transmission pad based on magnetic field radiated by the first antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad and the second antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad;

a measurement value of a third magnetic flux detected by a third antenna of the four antennas in the transmission pad based on magnetic field radiated by the first antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad and the second antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad; and

a measurement value of a fourth magnetic flux detected by a fourth antenna of the four antennas in the transmission pad based on magnetic field radiated by the first antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad and the second antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad.

2. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the connecting to the magnetic field detection apparatus comprises:

searching, by the position alignment apparatus, for a magnetic field detection apparatus within a predefined radius using wireless communication;

discovering, by the position alignment apparatus, at least one magnetic field detection apparatus within the predefined radius;

selecting, by the position alignment apparatus, one of the discovered at least one magnetic field detection apparatus based on at least one of;

a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a time of flight (ToF), a time difference of flight (TDoF), a time of arrival (ToA), and a time difference of arrival (TDoA); and

connecting, by the position alignment apparatus, to the selected magnetic field detection apparatus.

3. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the radiating of the at least one magnetic field comprises:

determining, by the position alignment apparatus, whether the at least one antenna located in the reception pad operates normally; and

driving, by the position alignment apparatus, the at least one antenna located in the reception pad to radiate the at least one magnetic field when the at least one antenna located in the reception pad operates normally.

4. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna located in the reception pad and the at least one antenna located in the transmission pad are ferrite rod antennas using a low-frequency (LF) band.

5. The position alignment method according to claim 1, wherein the information indicating the positional difference between the reception pad and the transmission pad includes at least one of:

a separation distance along an x-axis representing a horizontal direction with respect to the reception pad, a separation distance along a y-axis representing a vertical direction with respect to the reception pad, a separation distance along a z-axis representing a direction perpendicular to the reception pad, and a torsional degree between the horizontal direction of the reception pad and a horizontal direction of the transmission pad.

6. A position alignment apparatus for performing position alignment between the position alignment apparatus including a reception pad and a magnetic field detection apparatus including a transmission pad which performs wireless power transfer (WPT), the position alignment apparatus comprising:

at least one antenna located in the reception pad;

at least one processor; and

a memory storing program instructions executed by the at least one processor,

wherein, when the program instructions are executed, the at least one processor is configured to;

connect to the magnetic field detection apparatus using wireless communication, wherein at least one antenna is located in the transmission pad;

radiate at least one magnetic field using at least one antenna located in the reception pad;

receive magnetic field measurement values from the magnetic field detection apparatus; and

obtain information indicating a positional difference between the reception pad and the transmission pad by comparing the magnetic field measurement values with previously-stored reference values,

wherein the at least one antenna located in the reception pad includes two antennas located in a first region and a second region, respectively, into which the reception pad is divided in a left-right direction,

wherein the at least one antenna located in the transmission pad includes four antennas located in an upper left region, an upper right region, a lower left region, and a lower right region, respectively,

wherein the upper left region, the upper right region, the lower left region, and the lower right region have a same size, and

wherein the magnetic field measurement values include;

a measurement value of a first magnetic flux detected by a first antenna of the four antennas in the transmission pad based on magnetic field radiated by a first antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad and a second antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad;

a measurement value of a second magnetic flux detected by a second antenna of the four antennas in the transmission pad based on magnetic field radiated by the first antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad and the second antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad;

a measurement value of a third magnetic flux detected by a third antenna of the four antennas in the transmission pad based on magnetic field radiated by the first antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad and the second antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad; and

a measurement value of a fourth magnetic flux detected by a fourth antenna of the four antennas in the transmission pad based on magnetic field radiated by the first antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad and the second antenna of the two antennas located in the reception pad.

7. The position alignment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

search for a magnetic field detection apparatus within a predefined radius using wireless communication;

discover at least one magnetic field detection apparatus within the predefined radius;

select one of the discovered at least one magnetic field detection apparatus based on at least one of;

a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a time of flight (ToF), a time difference of flight (TDoF), a time of arrival (ToA), and a time difference of arrival (TDoA); and

connect to the selected magnetic field detection apparatus.

8. The position alignment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether the at least one antenna located in the reception pad operates normally; and

drive the at least one antenna located in the reception pad to radiate the at least one magnetic field when the at least one antenna located in the reception pad operates normally.

9. The position alignment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one antenna located in the reception pad and the at least one antenna located in the transmission pad are ferrite rod antennas using a low-frequency (LF) band.

10. The position alignment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the information indicating the positional difference between the reception pad and the transmission pad includes at least one of:

a separation distance along an x-axis representing a horizontal direction with respect to the reception pad, a separation distance along a y-axis representing a vertical direction with respect to the reception pad, a separation distance along a z-axis representing a direction perpendicular to the reception pad, and a torsional degree between the horizontal direction of the reception pad and a horizontal direction of the transmission pad.