Multi-coil charging system for distributed in-wheel motors

• US 10,668,828 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Chi-Ming, Dede, Ercan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): McDaniel, Tynese V
• Application Number:
  US15/703,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20190077269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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

Methods, systems, and devices for inductively charging a vehicle. The inductive charging system includes multiple inductive coils for receiving a wireless transferred power. The inductive charging system includes a power electronics circuit that converts the wireless transferred power to a DC current and one or more power storage devices for storing the electrical energy by charging the one or more power storage devices using the DC current. The inductive charging system includes one or more motors configured to move the vehicle using the electrical energy. The inductive charging system includes an electronic control unit that is configured to control at least one of an amount of the electrical energy that is stored in each of the one or more power storage devices or an amount of the electrical energy that is distributed to the one or more motors to move the vehicle.

Claims

1. An inductive charging system for a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of inductive coils including a first inductive coil and a second inductive coil and being configured to receive a wireless transferred power;

a power electronics circuit configured to convert the wireless transferred power to direct current (DC);

a plurality of power storage devices including a first power storage device and a second power storage device and being configured to store electrical energy by charging the plurality of power storage devices using the DC current;

a plurality of motors including a first motor that is connected to the first inductive coil and the first power storage device, and a second motor that is connected to the second inductive coil and the second power storage device, the plurality of motors being configured to move wheels of the vehicle using the electrical energy stored in the plurality of power storage devices; and

an electronic control unit connected to the plurality of inductive coils, the plurality of power storage devices and the plurality of motors, and configured to;

determine a power storage device among the plurality of power storage devices that has a least amount of stored electrical energy;

provide the DC current to the power storage device among the plurality of power storage devices that has the least amount of stored electrical energy; and

control an amount of the electrical energy that is distributed to the plurality of motors to move the wheels of the vehicle.

2. The inductive charging system of claim 1, wherein each inductive coil of the plurality of inductive coils receives the wireless transferred power and the power electronics circuit converts the wireless transferred power into electrical energy for a corresponding power storage device of the plurality of power storage devices.

3. The inductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inductive coils are configured to receive the wireless transferred power and the power electronics circuit converts the wireless transferred power into DC current that charges the plurality of power storage devices in parallel.

4. The inductive charging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor to detect and measure a state of charge of each of the plurality of power storage devices, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to determine the power storage device that has the least amount of stored electrical energy distribute the electrical based on the state of charge of each of the plurality of power storage devices.

5. The inductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inductive coils further includes a third inductive coil that is positioned in a rear driver side portion of the vehicle and a fourth inductive coil that is positioned in a rear passenger side portion of the vehicle, wherein the first inductive coil is positioned in a front driver side portion of the vehicle and the second inductive coil is positioned in a front passenger side portion of the vehicle.

6. The inductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the first motor connects and corresponds with a first wheel to move the first wheel and the second motor connects and corresponds with a second wheel to move the second wheel.

7. The inductive charging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor that is configured to detect a relative position of one or more inductive loops of a charging pad in relation to the plurality of inductive coils;

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control an amount of the wireless transferred power received by each inductive coil of the plurality of inductive coils based on the relative position of the one or more inductive loops of the charging pad.

8. The inductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to:

obtain one or more configuration settings that indicate one or more inductive coils of the plurality of inductive coils to activate; and

activate the one or more inductive coils based on the one or more configuration settings.

9. The inductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to receive the wireless transferred power from one or more inductive loops based on an efficiency factor of each inductive coil of the plurality of inductive coils.

10. The inductive charging system of claim 9, further comprising:

a sensor configured to measure the efficiency factor of each inductive coil of the plurality of inductive coils;

wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to compare the efficiency factor of each inductive coil to the efficiency factor of the other inductive coils.

11. An inductive charging system for a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of inductive coils including a first inductive coil and a second inductive coil and being configured to receive a wireless transferred power;

a power electronics circuit that converts the wireless transferred power into direct current (DC);

a plurality of power storage devices including a first power storage device and a second storage device and being configured to store electrical energy;

a plurality of motors including a first motor that is connected to the first inductive coil and the first power storage device, and a second motor that is connected to the second inductive coil and the second power storage device, the plurality of motors being configured to move wheels of the vehicle; and

a processor connected to the plurality of inductive coils, the plurality of power storage devices, and the plurality of motors and configured to;

determine that the first power storage device has a least amount of stored electrical energy;

provide the DC current to the first power storage device in response to the first power storage device having the least amount of stored electrical energy; and

control an amount of the electrical energy that is distributed to the plurality of motors to move the wheels of the vehicle.

12. The inductive charging system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:

distribute power from a power storage device of the plurality of power storage devices to a corresponding motor of the plurality of motors; and

operate the corresponding motor using the distributed power.

13. The inductive charging system of claim 11, further comprising:

a sensor to detect and measure a state of charge of each of the plurality of power storage devices, wherein the processor is configured to determine the power storage device that has the least amount of stored electrical energy based on the state of charge of each of the plurality of power storage devices.

18. The inductive charging system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to direct the DC current to the corresponding power storage device when no power storage device has the least amount of stored electrical energy.

14. A method for inductively charging a vehicle, the method being performed by a processor connected to a plurality of inductive coils, a plurality of power storage devices, and a plurality of motors, the method, comprising:

obtaining, by the processor and from a sensor, sensor data that indicates an alignment of one or more inductive loops of a charging apparatus;

activating, by the processor, the plurality of inductive coils including a first inductive coil and a second inductive coil based on the sensor data;

obtaining, using the plurality of inductive coils, a wireless transferred power;

converting, by a power electronics circuit, the wireless transferred power into electrical energy;

determining, by the processor, that a first power storage device among the plurality of power storage device has a least amount of stored electrical energy;

directing, by the processor, the electrical energy to the first power storage device of the plurality of power storage devices based on the determination;

storing, in the first power storage device, the electrical energy;

directing, by the processor, the electrical energy from the first power storage device to a first motor of the plurality of motors, the plurality of motors being configured to move wheels of the vehicle;

directing, by the processor, the electrical energy to a second power storage device of the plurality of power storage devices; and

directing, by the processor, the electrical energy from the second power storage device to a second motor of the plurality of motors to move the wheels of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

directing, by the processor, the electrical energy from each power storage device to a corresponding motor of the plurality of motors to move a corresponding wheel of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein further comprising:

measuring a state of charge of each of the plurality of power storage devices, wherein determining that the first power storage device has the least amount of stored electrical energy is based on the state of charge of each of the plurality of power storage devices.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein directing the electrical energy to the first power storage device and the second power storage device includes directing, by the processor, the electrical energy to the first power storage device and the second power storage device simultaneously.