Vehicle operating system

• US 6,525,510 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Inaba, Hiromi, Yamamoto, Kouki, Yamato, Ikuo, Ayano, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUK, LAWRENCE W
• Application Number:
  US10/101,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20030030411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/108, 320/107, 320/104, 439/248, 439/249, 336/DIG.2, 336/66, 180/65.1
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/34 Wheel chairs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• 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 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle operating system constituted of a vehicle and at least a charging apparatus, the system comprising means for enabling high-precision unmanned positioning, despite primarily vertical displacements of the vehicle due to changes in tire pressure or weight of a passenger or passengers, and hence enabling efficient, stable power feeding. The charging apparatus includes a power feeding unit, and a vehicle includes a power receiving unit for feeding power in a noncontact manner, which makes possible recharging without manual assistance. A C-shaped transformer and an I-shaped transformer are used for the power feeding unit and the power receiving unit, respectively, so that a magnetic flux induced therebetween can develop substantially in the horizontal direction, thereby feeding power stably despite changes in tire pressure and the like. Tire guides for guiding the vehicle to a power feeding position and a car stop are so used that when the vehicle 1 comes in contact with the car stop, the power feeding unit and the power receiving unit will face each other in a correct position, thus enabling high-precision positioning at power feeding time.

Claims

1. A vehicle operating system including a parking facility including at least a charging apparatus, and a vehicle possibly displaced primarily in the vertical direction, wherein the system comprises

a power feeding unit connected to said charging apparatus and a power receiving unit mounted in said vehicle, wherein the system is configured such that,

when said vehicle stops at a predetermined position in said parking facility, said power feeding unit and said power receiving unit face each other in a correct position so that a magnetic flux for feeding power by magnetic coupling will develop substantially in a horizontal direction to provide stable power feeding irrespective of changes of displacement of the vehicle in the vertical direction.

2. The vehicle operating system according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle includes tires and/or a suspension system deformable according to a load thereof.

3. The vehicle operating system according to claim 2, wherein said power feeding unit includes a C-shaped transformer and said power receiving unit includes an I-shaped transformer.

4. The vehicle operating system according to claim 2, wherein said power feeding unit includes an I-shaped transformer and said power receiving unit includes a C-shaped transformer.

5. The vehicle operating system according to claim 1, wherein when said power feeding unit and said power receiving unit face each other in a correct position, an I-shaped transformer of said power feeding or receiving unit is positioned in a gap of a C-shaped transformer of said power receiving or feeding unit.

6. The vehicle operating system according to claim 1, further comprising

tire guides for guiding said vehicle to a power feeding position and a car stop,

said tire guides having a traverse width substantially equal to the width of the tire, and

when said vehicle comes in contact with said car stop, said power receiving unit and said power feeding unit facing each other in a correct position.

7. The vehicle operating system according to claim 6, further comprising a detection device for detecting that said vehicle comes in contact with said car stop and making said power feeding unit start recharging.

8. The vehicle operating system according to claim 6, wherein the pair of tire guides has such a length that a plurality vehicles can be placed thereon at the same time, and a plurality of power feeding units are arranged along the pair of tire guides substantially at such regular intervals that intervehicular contact will never happen.

9. The vehicle operating system according to claim 1, wherein said power feeding unit includes an I-shaped transformer and said power receiving unit includes a C-shaped transformer.

10. The vehicle operating system according to claim 1, further comprising communication means for guiding each vehicle to a rechargeable position.

11. The vehicle operating system according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for making at least part of said power receiving unit mounted in said vehicle project outside of said vehicle in synchronization with a braking mechanism of said vehicle.

12. The vehicle operating system according to claim 1, wherein said power feeding unit includes a C-shaped transformer and said power receiving unit includes an I-shaped transformer.

13. The vehicle operating system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said power feeding and said power receiving units is a transformer having coil winding overlapped one upon another and spirally wound.

14. The vehicle operating system according to claim 1, further comprising a tire guide apparatus for guiding said vehicle to a desired power feeding position and a car stop having a fixed stopper for positioning the vehicle in a width direction thereof.

15. A vehicle operating system including a parking facility including at least a charging apparatus, and a vehicle possibly displaced primarily in the vertical direction, wherein the system comprises

a power feeding unit connected to said charging apparatus and a power receiving unit mounted in said vehicle, wherein the system is configured such that,

when said vehicle stops at a predetermined position in said parking facility, said power feeding unit and said power receiving unit face each other in a correct position so that a magnetic flux for feeding power by magnetic coupling will develop substantially in a horizontal direction to provide stable power feeding irrespective of changes of displacement of the vehicle in the vertical direction, and further comprising

tire guides for guiding said vehicle to a power feeding position and a car stop,

said tire guides having a traverse width substantially equal to the width of the tire, such that,

when said vehicle comes in contact with said car stop, said power receiving unit and said power feeding unit face each other in a desired position,

wherein the width of a gap between said power receiving unit and said power feeding unit is larger than the width of said tire guides and the tire.

16. A vehicle operating system, including a parking facility including at least a charging apparatus, and a vehicle possibly displaced primarily in the vertical direction, wherein the system comprises

a power feeding unit connected to said charging apparatus and a power receiving unit mounted in said vehicle, wherein the system is configured such that,

when said vehicle stops at a predetermined position in said parking facility, said power feeding unit and said power receiving unit face each other in a correct position so that a magnetic flux for feeding power by magnetic coupling will develop substantially in a horizontal direction to provide stable power feeding irrespective of changes of displacement of the vehicle in the vertical direction, and further comprising

tire guides for guiding said vehicle to a power feeding position and a car stop,

said tire guides having a traverse width substantially equal to the width of the tire, such that,

when said vehicle comes in contact with said car stop, said power receiving unit and said power feeding unit face each other in a desired position, and

a detection device for detecting that said vehicle comes in contact with said car stop and making said power feeding unit start recharging,

wherein the width of a gap between said power receiving unit and said power feeding unit is larger than the width of said tire guides and the tire.