Wireless power supply systems for a vehicle

• US 10,836,260 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2018
• Issued: 11/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: Moriya, Fumiyuki, Okamoto, Tomofumi, Horie, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US16/162,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20190152323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/42 related to electric machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0038 relating to sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle includes: a traction motor; a diagnostic module; a receiving coil; and a controller. The diagnostic module executes a diagnostic test of a rotational position sensor of the traction motor. The receiving coil receives a power wirelessly. The controller switches the diagnostic module to a state that is less likely to determine an error than normal when the receiving coil is positioned with respect to a supplying coil in a ground equipment.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a traction motor;

a receiving coil configured to receive a power wirelessly; and

a controller configured to execute a diagnostic test of a rotational position sensor of the traction motor, wherein when the receiving coil is positioned with respect to a supplying coil in ground equipment, the controller is configured to adjust a diagnostic strictness of the diagnostic test to be less strict so that a number of errors produced when the receiving coil is positioned with respect to the supplying coil in the ground equipment becomes fewer than a number of errors produced when the receiving coil is not positioned with respect to the supplying coil in the ground equipment.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic strictness being less strict refers to a stopping of the diagnostic test.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein during the positioning, the controller switches the diagnostic strictness between a less strict state in which the diagnostic strictness is less strict and a normal state in which the diagnostic strictness if not less strict, according to a gear shift position or relative positions of the supplying coil and the receiving coil.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a traction driving unit different from the traction motor; and

a drive controller configured to, when the diagnostic strictness is adjusted to be less strict, cause the vehicle to travel by stopping a driving of the traction motor while also enabling a driving of the different traction driving unit.

5. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the traction motor comprises a front-wheel motor that drives front wheels and a rear-wheel motor that drives rear wheels,

the controller executes a diagnostic test of a rotational position sensor of the front-wheel motor and a diagnostic test of a rotational position sensor of the rear-wheel motor, and

during the positioning, the controller switches a diagnostic strictness of either one of the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the front-wheel motor and the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the rear-wheel motor between a less strict state in which the diagnostic strictness is less strict and a normal state in which the diagnostic strictness if not less strict, according to a gear shift position or relative positions of the supplying coil and the receiving coil.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising:

a drive controller configured to control a driving of the front-wheel motor and the rear-wheel motor, wherein

the drive controller stops the driving of one of the front-wheel motor and the rear-wheel motor corresponding to which of the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the front-wheel motor and the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the rear-wheel motor has been switched to the less strict state, while also enabling another of the front-wheel motor and the rear-wheel motor corresponding to which of the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the front-wheel motor and the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the rear-wheel motor has not been switched to the less strict state.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein during the positioning, the controller switches the diagnostic strictness between a less strict state in which the diagnostic strictness is less strict and a normal state in which the diagnostic strictness if not less strict, according to a gear shift position or relative positions of the supplying coil and the receiving coil.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a traction driving unit different from the traction motor; and

a drive controller configured to, when the diagnostic strictness is adjusted to be less strict, cause the vehicle to travel by stopping a driving of the traction motor while also enabling a driving of the different traction driving unit.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the traction motor comprises a front-wheel motor that drives front wheels and a rear-wheel motor that drives rear wheels,

the controller executes a diagnostic test of a rotational position sensor of the front-wheel motor and a diagnostic test of a rotational position sensor of the rear-wheel motor, and

during the positioning, the controller switches a diagnostic strictness of either one of the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the front-wheel motor and the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the rear-wheel motor between a less strict state in which the diagnostic strictness is less strict and a normal state in which the diagnostic strictness if not less strict, according to a gear shift position or relative positions of the supplying coil and the receiving coil.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising:

a drive controller configured to control a driving of the front-wheel motor and the rear-wheel motor, wherein

the drive controller stops the driving of one of the front-wheel motor and the rear-wheel motor corresponding to which of the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the front-wheel motor and the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the rear-wheel motor has been switched to the less strict state, while also enabling another of the front-wheel motor and the rear-wheel motor corresponding to which of the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the front-wheel motor and the diagnostic test of the rotational position sensor of the rear-wheel motor has not been switched to the less strict state.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle mode controller configured to cause the vehicle to transition to a failsafe mode on a basis of any error information, wherein

the vehicle mode controller changes a pattern of a transition to a failsafe mode based on an error determination by the diagnostic test, on a basis of a trigger for starting the positioning.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle mode controller prohibits a transition to a failsafe mode that prohibits a travel based on an error determination by the diagnostic test, on the basis of the trigger for starting the positioning.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the traction motor comprises a front-wheel motor that drives front wheels and a rear-wheel motor that drives rear wheels, and

the vehicle mode controller changes a pattern of a transition to a failsafe mode based on a diagnostic result of the rotational position sensor in one of the front-wheel motor and the rear-wheel motor, according to a gear shift position or relative positions of the receiving coil and the supplying coil.

14. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein

the traction motor comprises a front-wheel motor that drives front wheels and a rear-wheel motor that drives rear wheels, and

the vehicle mode controller changes a pattern of a transition to a failsafe mode based on a diagnostic result of the rotational position sensor in one of the front-wheel motor and the rear-wheel motor, according to a gear shift position or relative positions of the receiving coil and the supplying coil.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a traction motor;

a receiving coil configured to receive a power wirelessly; and

circuitry configured to

execute a diagnostic test of a rotational position sensor of the traction motor, and

when the receiving coil is positioned with respect to a supplying coil in ground equipment, adjust a diagnostic strictness of the diagnostic test to be less strict so that a number of errors produced when the receiving coil is positioned with respect to the supplying coil in the ground equipment becomes fewer than a number of errors produced when the receiving coil is not positioned with respect to the supplying coil in the ground equipment.