Non-contact power supply device

• US 9,656,559 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hiroshi, Konno, Masaki, Imazu, Tomoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Amrany, Adi
• Application Number:
  US14/119,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20140145514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• 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 53/124 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 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• 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: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 : Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• 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
• 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 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Provided is a non-contact power supply device which detects foreign objects interposed between a power transmission coil and a power receiving coil. This non-contact power supply device is provided with a second coil which contactlessly transmits power to or receives power from a first coil at least by means of magnetic coupling, multiple sensors for detecting position shifts between the first coil and the second coil, a position detection means which, on the basis of the output values of the sensors, detects the relative positions of the first coil and the second coil, and a foreign object detection means which compares the output values of the sensors and from these comparison results detects foreign objects between first coil and the second coil.

Claims

1. A contactless electricity supply device comprising:

a second coil that sends or receives electricity to or from a first coil contactlessly at least through magnetic coupling therebetween;

a plurality of sensors for sensing a positional deviation between the first coil and the second coil;

a position sensing section that compares output values of the plurality of sensors with a predetermined reference value, and senses a positional relationship between the first coil and the second coil; and

a foreign object detection section that compares a difference among the same output values of the plurality of sensors with a predetermined threshold value for foreign object detection, and detects whether or not a foreign object is present between the first coil and the second coil on a basis of a result of the comparison.

2. The contactless electricity supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of sensors include four sensors;

the position sensing section is configured to input output values of the four sensors;

the foreign object detection section is configured to input the same output values of the four sensors; and

the position sensing section is configured to detect the positional relationship between the first coil and the second coil on a basis of at least three output values of the same output values of the four sensors.

3. The contactless electricity supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors includes a signal sending section including a single signal sending antenna which is provided at a central point of the signal sending section, and a signal receiving section including a plurality of signal receiving antennas;

the signal sending section and the signal receiving section are arranged such that a distance between a position of each of the signal receiving antennas and a position of the signal sending section is equal to each other in a case where a central point of the first coil and a central point of the second coil are positioned along a line in a depth direction of coil planes of the first and second coils; and

the foreign object detection section is configured to obtain absolute values of differences among the same output values of the plurality of sensors, to compare each difference with the predetermined threshold value for the foreign object detection, and to detect whether or not the foreign object is present between the first coil and the second coil on the basis of the result of the comparison.