CONTACTLESS POWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE

• US 20160272071A1
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: TANIGUCHI, Satoshi, ICHIKAWA, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 10,173,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: 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 53/39 with position-responsive activation of primary coils
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/003 for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A contactless power transmission device includes: a plurality of power transmission coil units; a plurality of detection units configured to detect a foreign substance on and around each power transmission coil unit; a communication unit configured to communicate with a vehicle; and a control unit configured to select one of the plurality of power transmission coil units based on information about a mounting position of a power reception device from the vehicle obtained by the communication unit, and to guide, when a detection unit detects a foreign substance at the selected power transmission coil unit, the vehicle toward a power transmission coil unit different from the selected power transmission coil unit, before the vehicle stops. This can prevent a reduction in power transfer efficiency due to a foreign substance or the like in a power transmission device including a plurality of power transmission coils.

Claims

1. A contactless power transmission device, comprising:

a plurality of power transmission coil units;

a detection unit configured to detect a foreign substance on and around each power transmission coil unit;

a communication unit configured to communicate with a vehicle; and

a control unit configured to select one of the plurality of power transmission coil units based on information about a mounting position of a power reception device from the vehicle obtained by the communication unit, and to guide, when the detection unit detects a foreign substance at the selected power transmission coil unit, the vehicle toward a power transmission coil unit different from the selected power transmission coil unit, before the vehicle stops.

2. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of power transmission coil units are arranged along a front-back direction of a parking position of the vehicle, and

when the detection unit detects a foreign substance at the selected power transmission coil unit, the control unit guides the vehicle to a power transmission coil unit adjacent to the selected power transmission coil unit.

3. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit is arranged between the selected power transmission coil unit and the adjacent power transmission coil unit.

4. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit transmits electric power to the power transmission coil unit toward which the vehicle is guided, and

the vehicle performs alignment between the power transmission coil unit toward which the vehicle is guided and a power reception coil unit mounted in the vehicle, based on a received voltage of the power reception coil unit.