Vehicle positioning system for wireless charging stations

• US 9,114,720 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Oman, Todd P., Hawes, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek, Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US13/939,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20150015193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/107, 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/00 Arrangements for measuring or indicating electric quantities not covered by groups G01R19/00 - G01R27/00
• 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

A system for positioning a vehicle over a wireless charging station. The system includes a plurality of ultra wideband transceivers (UWBX) installed on the vehicle and the wireless charging station, and a controller configured to determine various distances between the various UWBXs.

Claims

1. A system for positioning a vehicle over a wireless charging station, said system comprising:

a wireless charging station equipped with a base wideband transceiver (UWBX);

a first UWBX configured to be installed on a vehicle;

a second UWBX configured to be installed on the vehicle; and

a controller configured to determine a location of the wireless charging station relative to the vehicle based on a first distance between the base UWBX and the first UWBX, and a second distance between the base UWBX and the second UWBX, wherein the controller is further configured determine reference distance between the first UWBX and the second UWBX as part of an auto-calibration process.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a third UWBX configured to be installed on the vehicle, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the location based on the first distance, the second distance, and a third distance between the base UWBX and the third UWBX.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a display configured to indicate a direction to move the vehicle in order to position the vehicle over the wireless charging station.

4. The system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the display is further configured to indicate a distance to move the vehicle in order to position the vehicle over the wireless charging station.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to operate at least one of a braking system of the vehicle and a steering system of the vehicle for semi-autonomous or fully-autonomous positioning of the vehicle over the wireless charging station.

6. A system for positioning a vehicle over a wireless charging station, said system comprising:

a wireless charging station equipped with a plurality of wideband transceivers (UWBX);

a vehicle UWBX configured to be installed on a vehicle; and

a controller configured to determine a location of the wireless charging station relative to the vehicle based on distances between the plurality of UWBXs and the vehicle UWBX, wherein the controller is further configured determine reference distance between the plurality of UWBXs as part of an auto-calibration process.

7. The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the system further comprises a display configured to indicate a direction to move the vehicle in order to position the vehicle over the wireless charging station.

8. The system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the display is further configured to indicate a distance to move the vehicle in order to position the vehicle over the wireless charging station.

9. The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to operate at least one of a braking system of the vehicle and a steering system of the vehicle for semi-autonomous or fully-autonomous positioning of the vehicle over the wireless charging station.

10. A system for positioning a vehicle over a wireless charging station, said system comprising:

a wireless charging station equipped with a base wideband transceiver (UWBX);

a vehicle UWBX configured to be installed on a vehicle;

a multiplexer configured to couple a plurality of antenna to one of the base UWBX and the vehicle UWBX, wherein the one of the base UWBX and the vehicle UWBX not coupled to the plurality of antennas is designated a sole UWBX; and

a controller configured to determine a location of the wireless charging station relative to the vehicle based on distances between the plurality of antennas and the sole UWBX, wherein the controller is further configured determine reference distance between the plurality of antennas as part of an auto-calibration process.

11. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the system further comprises a display configured to indicate a direction to move the vehicle in order to position the vehicle over the wireless charging station.

12. The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the display is further configured to indicate a distance to move the vehicle in order to position the vehicle over the wireless charging station.

13. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to operate at least one of a braking system of the vehicle and a steering system of the vehicle for semi-autonomous or fully-autonomous positioning of the vehicle over the wireless charging station.