Abnormality detection system

• US 8,896,321 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Atsushi, Taguchi, Yuichi, Koike, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US13/189,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20110316553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 324/500, 324/537, 324/76.11, 324/503, 324/546, 324/547, 324/654, 307/104
• US Class Current: 324/546
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• 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 53/12 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 53/126 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 58/00 Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles
• 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

The abnormality detection system is provided for detecting an abnormality of an object. The abnormality detection system includes a high-frequency power source, a primary coil, a secondary coil and a controller. The high-frequency power source supplies power. The primary coil receives the power supplied from the high-frequency power source. The secondary coil is mounted to the object in noncontact with the primary coil for receiving power supplied from the primary coil. The controller is operable to detect the power received by the secondary coil and also to determine whether or not an abnormality is present in the object based on the detected power.

Claims

1. An abnormality detection system for detecting an abnormality of an object, comprising:

a high-frequency power source for supplying power;

a primary coil for receiving the power supplied from the high-frequency power source;

a secondary coil mounted to the object in noncontact with the primary coil for receiving power supplied from the primary coil;

a battery charged by the power received by the secondary coil;

a resistor for receiving the power received by the secondary coil;

a moving contact for allowing the power received by the secondary coil to be supplied to the battery or the resistor; and

a controller for controlling operation of the moving contact, the controller being operable to detect the power received by the resistor through the secondary coil and also to detect a change in a magnitude of the detected power due to a change in distance between the primary coil and the secondary coil or a change in the magnitude of the detected power due to an obstacle present between the primary coil and the secondary coil, thereby to determine that an abnormality is present in the object.

2. The abnormality detection system according to claim 1, wherein the object is an automobile.

3. The abnormality detection system according to claim 1, wherein the object has a battery that is charged with the power received by the secondary coil.

4. The abnormality detection system according to claim 1, further comprising a warning device that is operated when the controller determines that the abnormality is present in the object.