Electric power transmission apparatus and electric power transmission system

• US 10,744,882 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2018
• Issued: 08/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Toshiya, Misawa, Takahiro, Nagata, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Goradia, Shefali D
• Application Number:
  US16/030,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20190016228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• 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 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• 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 50/80 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: 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

A control unit of an electric power transmission apparatus is configured to perform alignment processing in which an electric power transmission unit and an electric power reception unit are aligned with each other and foreign matter sensing processing for sensing whether or not a foreign matter is present between the electric power transmission unit and the electric power reception unit, by using an image shot by a camera. The control unit selects an alignment prioritized mode in which alignment processing is performed in preference to foreign matter sensing processing before start of electric power transmission, and selects a foreign matter sensing prioritized mode in which foreign matter sensing processing is performed in preference to alignment processing during electric power transmission.

Claims

1. An electric power transmission apparatus comprising:

an electric power transmission portion configured to wirelessly transmit electric power to an electric power reception portion of an electric power reception apparatus;

a shooting apparatus configured to shoot surroundings of the electric power transmission portion; and

a controller configured to perform alignment processing and foreign matter sensing processing by using an image shot by the shooting apparatus, the alignment processing being a process in which the electric power transmission portion and the electric power reception portion are aligned with each other, the foreign matter sensing processing being a process for sensing whether a foreign matter is present between the electric power transmission portion and the electric power reception portion,

the controller being configured to

select an alignment prioritized mode in which the alignment processing is performed in preference to the foreign matter sensing processing before start of electric power transmission from the electric power transmission portion to the electric power reception portion, and

select a foreign matter sensing;

prioritized mode in which the foreign matter sensing processing is performed in preference to the alignment processing during electric power transmission from the electric power transmission portion to the electric power reception portion.

2. The electric power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in the alignment prioritized mode, the controller is configured to perform the alignment processing and the foreign matter sensing processing such that the number of times of the alignment processing performed within a first prescribed time period is greater than the number of times of the foreign matter sensing processing performed within the first prescribed time period, and

in the foreign matter sensing prioritized mode, the controller is configured to perform the alignment processing and the foreign matter sensing processing such that the number of times of the foreign matter sensing processing performed within a second prescribed time period is greater than the number of times of the alignment processing performed within the second prescribed time period.

3. The electric power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in the alignment prioritized mode, the controller is configured to perform the alignment processing and the foreign matter sensing processing such that a time period of the alignment processing performed within a first prescribed time period is longer than a time period of the foreign matter sensing processing, performed within the first prescribed time period, and

in the foreign matter sensing prioritized mode, the controller is configured to perform the alignment processing and the foreign matter sensing processing such that a time period of the foreign matter sensing processing performed within a second prescribed time period is longer than a time period of the alignment processing performed within the second prescribed time period.

4. The electric power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electric power reception apparatus is mounted on a vehicle, and

the controller is configured to select the alignment prioritized mode during movement of the vehicle before start of electric power transmission from the electric power transmission portion to the electric power reception portion.

5. The electric power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electric power reception apparatus is mounted on a vehicle,

the electric power transmission apparatus further includes a communication apparatus which communicates with the vehicle, and

the controller is configured to select the alignment prioritized mode when communication with the vehicle is established by the communication apparatus before start of electric power transmission from the electric power transmission portion to the electric power reception portion.

6. The electric power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in the foreign matter sensing prioritized mode, the controller is configured to alternately perform the foreign matter sensing processing and the alignment processing with the foreign matter sensing processing being performed in preference to the alignment processing.

7. An electric power transmission system comprising:

the electric power transmission apparatus according to claim 1; and

the electric power reception apparatus which wirelessly receives electric power from the electric power transmission apparatus.