GB2595508A

GB2595508A - System and method for facilitating charging vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2595508A
Application number: GB2008059.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thangam Aiyam Pillai Balaji; Paul Luke Kingkam Durai Winnefred
Original assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
Current assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
Priority date: 2020-05-29
Filing date: 2020-05-29
Publication date: 2021-12-01
Also published as: GB202008059D0

Abstract

A system for aligning a vehicle with a charger pad with: a vehicle controller 111; a sensor 112 installed in a tire of the vehicle; a ground pad 121 able to charge the vehicle; a communication unit 122 installed in the ground pad and capable of data communication with the vehicle 110; a charger controller 123 able to detect a distance between the ground pad and the sensor, and calculate a difference between the detected distance and the required distance, which is used by the vehicle controller to move the vehicle to the required position on the ground pad. The distance calculation may be based on the round-trip time between the communication unit and the sensor. The vehicle may have between one and four sensors, and at least one of those may be a tyre pressure sensor. There may be more than one spaced-apart communication unit in the charging pad; each communication unit may measure its own distance to the sensor, allowing the charger controller to calculate more accurate location information by means of distances and angles, i.e. triangulation. Once the vehicle is in the correct position, a notification may be sent to the charger, which may commence charging.

Description

Intellectual Property Office Application No. GII2008059.4 RTM Date:19 November 2020 The following terms are registered trade marks and should be read as such wherever they occur in this document: Wi-Fi Bluetooth Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.gov.uk/ipo

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING CHARGING VEHICLE TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a system and a method for facilitating charging a vehicle, and particularly relates to a system and a method for aligning the vehicle to a desired position on a ground pad of a charger.

BACKGROUND

The following discussion of the background is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. It may be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge of the person skilled in the art in any jurisdiction as at the priority date of the present invention.

During the last few decades, environmental impact of the petroleum-based transportation infrastructure has led to interest in an electric transportation infrastructure. Electric vehicles consume electricity to obtain power. Therefore, the electric vehicles may need to go to a charging station from time to time, for power transfer.

With the advent of technology in inductive power transfer, wireless charging (also known as "inductive charging" or "codeless charging") has been used as one of sources for the electric vehicles to obtain the power. The wireless charging utilises an electromagnetic induction to provide electricity to the electric vehicles.

The wireless charging offers convenience to drivers, but there are some drawbacks of the wireless charging. For example, lower efficiency and heat wastage are main disadvantages of wireless charging. Typically, the wireless charging has lower efficiency than direct contact charging.

One of reasons why the wireless charging has the lower efficiency than the direct contact charging is that the electric vehicles are unlikely to be aligned with a desired position on a ground pad of a charger accurately. In addition, it may be difficult for the drivers to drive his/her vehicle to be accurately aligned with the desired position on the ground pad.

In light of the above, there exists a need to provide a solution that meets the mentioned needs at least in part.

SUMMARY

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Furthermore, throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "include" or variations such as "includes" or "including", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

The present invention seeks to provide a system and a method that addresses the aforementioned need at least in part.

The technical solution is provided in the form of a system and a method for facilitating charging a vehicle. The system comprises the vehicle and a charger. The vehicle comprises a sensor installed in a tire of the vehicle, and a vehicle controller operable to control the vehicle. The charger comprises a ground pad operable to charge the vehicle, and a communication unit installed in the ground pad and capable of data communication with the vehicle controller. The charger further comprises a charger controller operable to detect a distance between the sensor and the ground pad via the data communication and calculate a difference between the detected distance and a predetermined distance. The vehicle controller is operable to control the vehicle to move to a predetermined position on the ground pad based on the calculated difference.

Therefore, the system and the method in accordance with the present invention can minimise loss of energy during the charging the vehicle and thereby improve an efficiency in charging the vehicle, as the vehicle is automatically aligned with a desired position on the ground pad of the charger. In addition, the system and the method in accordance with the present invention can utilise a sensor (for example, tire pressure sensor) which is already installed in the vehicle to detect the distance between the vehicle and the charger, and thus it is not needed to install additional sensor to achieve this function.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is a system for facilitating charging a vehicle comprising: a vehicle controller operable to control the vehicle, and a sensor installed in a tire of the vehicle; and a charger comprising: a ground pad operable to charge the vehicle, and a communication unit installed in the ground pad and capable of data communication with the vehicle controller, characterised in that: the charger further comprises a charger controller operable to detect a distance between the sensor and the ground pad, and calculate a difference between the detected distance and a predetermined distance, and the vehicle controller is operable to control the vehicle to move to a predetermined position on the ground pad based on the calculated difference.

In some embodiments, the communication unit is operable to transmit information to the sensor and then receive the information from the sensor; and the charger controller is operable to detect the distance between the sensor and the communication unit based on time difference between the transmission and the receipt of the information.

In some embodiments, the communication unit comprises a first communication unit and a second communication unit installed in the ground pad.

In some embodiments, the first communication unit and the second communication unit are apart from each other.

In some embodiments, the predetermined distance includes a first predetermined distance which is a distance between the sensor and the first communication unit when the vehicle is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad; and a second predetermined distance which is a distance between the sensor and the second communication unit when the vehicle is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a vehicle pad installed in the vehicle and operable to receive electricity from the ground pad, wherein the predetermined position is a position of the vehicle in which the vehicle pad and the ground pad are overlapped for a predetermined value.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first and the second communication units includes a transceiver.

In some embodiments, the charger controller is operable to detect a first distance between the sensor and the first communication unit and a second distance between the sensor and the second communication unit.

In some embodiments, the charger controller is operable to calculate an angle between the first and the second communication units with respect to the sensor.

In some embodiments, the charger controller is operable to calculate a first difference between the first distance and the first predetermined distance, a second difference between the second distance and the second predetermined distance, and a third 15 difference between the angle and a predetermined angle In some embodiments, the predetermined angle is set as an angle between the first and the second communication units with respect to the sensor when the vehicle is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad.

In some embodiments, the vehicle controller is operable to determine a steering turn angle for moving the vehicle to the predetermined position, based on the third difference.

In some embodiments, the vehicle controller is operable to send a notification to the communication unit, once the vehicle is moved to the predetermined position on the ground pad.

In some embodiments, the charger is operable to commence charging the vehicle, once the communication unit receives the notification.

In some embodiments, the sensor includes a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor and a fourth sensor installed in each tire of the vehicle In some embodiments, at least one of the first, the second, the third and the fourth sensor includes a tire pressure sensor.

In some embodiments, the vehicle controller includes a vehicle control unit.

In some embodiments, the data communication includes at least one of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio frequency (RE) and near field communication (NEC).

In accordance with another example of the present invention, there is a method of facilitating charging a vehicle comprising steps of: detecting a distance between a sensor of the vehicle and a ground pad of a charger, via a data communication between a vehicle controller of the vehicle and a communication unit of the charger; calculating a difference between the detected distance and a predetermined distance; and controlling the vehicle to move to a predetermined position on the ground pad based on the calculated difference.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises steps of: transmitting information from the communication unit to the sensor; receiving the information from the sensor to the communication unit; and detecting the distance between the sensor and the communication unit based on time difference between the transmission and the receipt of the information.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to 25 the accompanying drawings, in which: Figs. 1 and 2 are block diagrams in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig 4 is a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Other arrangements of the present invention are possible and, consequently, the 5 accompanying drawings are not to be understood as superseding the generality of the preceding description of the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

Figs. 1 and 2 are block diagrams in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may comprise a vehicle 110 and a charger 120. It may be appreciated that at least a part of the charger 120, for example a ground pad 121, may be disposed on a parking lot 130. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the ground pad 121 may be placed on a middle of the parking lot 130.

The vehicle 110 may include an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle is a vehicle using at least one of electric motor and traction motor for propulsion. The electric vehicle may be powered through a collector system by electricity from off-vehicle sources or may be self-contained with an electric generator or battery to convert fuel to electricity.

The electric vehicle typically charges from power outlets or dedicated charging stations. Conventionally, such charging has been done by plugging in the electric vehicles.

With the advent of technology in inductive power transfer, wireless charging has been introduced as one of means for charging the electric vehicle. The wireless charging utilises an electromagnetic induction to provide electricity to the electric vehicles. For the wireless charging, the electric vehicle may park over a charging station. Therefore, such wireless charging can minimise cabling and connection infrastructure.

The vehicle 110 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may include a vehicle controller 111 and a sensor 112.

The vehicle controller 111 is operable to control the vehicle 110. In some embodiments, the vehicle controller 111 includes a vehicle control unit. In some embodiments, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the vehicle controller 111 may include at least one of a tire pressure monitoring unit 111a, a vehicle alignment control unit 111b, and an engine control unit (also referred to as "ECU") 111c. The tire pressure monitoring unit 111a may receive a signal from the sensor 112, for example a tire pressure sensor, installed in a tire 113 of the vehicle 110. In this manner, the tire pressure monitoring unit 111a can monitor the tire pressure. The time taken to receive a pressure value from the sensor 112, for example the tire pressure sensor, to the communication unit 122 may be used to calculate the distance (to be discussed below). The vehicle alignment control unit 111b may control the vehicle 110 to move to the predetermined position on the ground pad 121. The ECU 111c may be controlled by the vehicle alignment control unit 111b. It may be appreciated that the vehicle alignment control unit 111b and the ECU 111c can communicate with each other.

The vehicle 110 includes a tire 113. Throughout the description and drawings, the present invention is described with an example of the vehicle 110 including four tires 113 with four wheels. However, it may be appreciated that the vehicle 110 in accordance with the present invention may include any other numbers of tires 113 and wheels. For example, the vehicle 110 may be a motorcycle, and such vehicle 110 may include two tires 113 with two wheels.

The sensor 112 may be installed in the tire 113 of the vehicle 110. In some embodiments, the sensor 112 is installed in each tire 113 (for example, four tires 113) of the vehicle 110. For example, the sensor 112 includes a first sensor 112a, a second sensor 112b, a third sensor 112c and a fourth sensor 112d installed in each tire 113 of the vehicle 110. In some other embodiments, the sensor 112 is installed in at least one tire 113 of the vehicle. For example, there may be two sensors 112 installed in two of four tires 113 of the vehicle 110.

In some embodiments, the sensor 112 is operable to communicate with the vehicle controller 111. For example, the sensor 112 may communicate with the tire pressure monitoring unit 111a via ethernet.

The vehicle 110 may further include a vehicle pad 114. The vehicle pad 114 is installed in the vehicle 110. For example, the vehicle pad 114 is installed in or near a bottom of the vehicle 110. The vehicle pad 114 is operable to receive electricity from a ground pad 121 of the charger 120. Specifically, once the vehicle pad 114 of the vehicle 110 places near the ground pad 121 of the charger 120, energy can be transferred to the vehicle pad 114 through inductive coupling. For example, an alternating current can run through an induction coil in the ground pad 121 of the charger 120. In some embodiments, the vehicle pad 114 may communicate with the vehicle controller 111 via ethernet.

In some embodiments, the vehicle 110 may further include a vehicle Wi-Fi module 115. The vehicle Wi-Fi module 115 is operable to communicate with the vehicle controller 111, for example the vehicle alignment control unit 111b. The vehicle Wi-Fi module 115 is further operable to detect whether the vehicle 110 is in the range of the wall-mounted charger 126, and to establish the communication between the vehicle controller 111 and the wall-mounted charger 126. The vehicle Wi-Fi module 115 is further operable to communicate with the communication unit 122, and to provide information to the vehicle controller 111 for alignment.

The charger 120 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may include the ground pad 121 and a communication unit 122.

The ground pad 121 is operable to charge the vehicle 110. For example, as described above, once the vehicle pad 114 of the vehicle 110 places near the ground pad 121 of 25 the charger 120, energy can be transferred from the ground pad 121 to the vehicle pad 114 through the inductive coupling.

The communication unit 122 may be installed in the ground pad 121. The communication unit 122 is capable of data communication with the vehicle controller 111. In some embodiments, the data communication includes at least one of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio frequency (RF) and near field communication (NFC).

In some embodiments, the communication unit 122 includes one or more communication units 122. For example, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the communication unit 122 includes two communication units 122 (hereinafter referred to as "a first communication unit 122a and a second communication unit 122b"). The first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b are disposed on the ground pad 121. It may be appreciated that the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b are apart from each other on the ground pad 121.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b includes a transceiver. The transceiver may include a wireless transceiver. For example, both the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b are wireless transceivers.

In some embodiments, the charger 120 may further include a wall-mounted charger 126. The wall-mounted charger 126 is mounted on the wall and operable to store electricity. In addition, the wall-mounted charger 126 may allow the user to manage how his/her electric vehicle charges by connecting it to the grid. In some embodiments, the charger 120 may further include a charger Wi-Fi module 125 and a wall box 127. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the charger Wi-Fi module 125 and the wall box 127 are installed in the wall-mounted charger 126. The charger Wi-Fi module 125 is operable to establish a connection between the wall-mounted charger 126 and the vehicle controller 111. The wall box 127 is a unit which contains or houses the wall-mounted charger 126.

It may be appreciated that the ground pad 121 can communication with the wall-mounted charger 126 in which the charger Wi-Fi module 125 is installed in. In some embodiments, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the ground pad 121 and the wall-mounted charger 126 are linked by wire 124. In some other embodiments, the ground pad 121 and the wall-mounted charger 126 are not linked by wire 124. The ground pad 121 and the wall-mounted charger 126 can do a wireless communication. For example, the communication unit 122 and the wall-mounted charger 126 may communicate via ethernet. As another example, the communication unit 122 and the charger Wi-Fi module 125 of the wall-mounted charger 126 may communicate via Wi-Fi communication The charger 120 may further include a charger controller 123. In some embodiments, the charger controller 123 may be installed in the ground pad 121, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The charger controller 123 may use the communication unit 122 installed in the ground pad 121 to read the sensor 112 through which it calculates the distance between respective tires 113 and the angle between the tires 113 with respect to the communication unit 122. In some other embodiments, the charger controller 123 may be installed in the wall-mounted charger 126.

After the charger controller 123 reads the sensor 112, the charger controller 123 compares the readings with predefined values. The predefined values include, but are not limited to, size of the vehicle 110, distance between fires 113 and the angle of inclination required for parking, so that both the ground pad 121 and the vehicle pad 114 are aligned. In some embodiments, in case the parking lot 130 is a personal parking lot, this value may be hardcoded to the ground pad 121 for its respective vehicle 110. In some other embodiments, in case the parking lot 130 is a public parking lot (for example, parking lot in a shopping mall), the vehicle 110 may store at least a part of the predefined value in its memory (not shown) or ECU 111c, which may be transmitted to the charger controller 123 via the data communication such as Wi-Fi.

In this case, the ground pad 121 may automatically accept and provide co-ordinates for alignment for all types of vehicles it can support.

Based on the comparison results, the charger controller 123 may communicate with the vehicle controller 111 via the data communication such as Wi-Fi. This comparison, calculation and communication between the charger controller 123 and the vehicle controller 111 may happen in continuous sample period/loop, until fine tuning of vehicle parking is done and in turn the ground pad 121 and the vehicle pad 114 are aligned for charging.

It may be appreciated that, an identification of tires 113 may be recognised by reading an identifier of the sensor 112 (for example, identification number of the sensor 112) by the charger controller 123 Detailed functions of the charger controller 123 and the vehicle controller 111 are described as follows.

The charger controller 123 is operable to detect a distance between the sensor 112 and the communication unit 122 via the data communication between the vehicle controller 111 and the communication unit 122. In some embodiments, the communication unit 122 transmits information (also referred to as "command") to the sensor 112 to send an identifier, for example an identification number. The sensor 112 receives the information and then transmits the information back to the communication unit 122. Therefore, the communication unit 122 can receive the same information from the sensor 112. The charger controller 123 can detect the distance between the sensor 112 and the communication unit 122 based on time difference between the transmission and the receipt of the information. Based on the identification number, the charger controller 123 is able to determine and differentiate the sensor 112, for example the first sensor 112a, the second sensor 112b, the third sensor 112c and the fourth sensor 112d respectively.

As described above, in some embodiments, the communication unit 122 includes the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b. The charger controller 123 is operable to detect a first distance between the sensor 112 and the first communication unit 122a and a second distance between the sensor 112 and the second communication unit 122b.

In some other embodiments, the communication unit 122 includes the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b. In addition, the sensor 112 includes the first sensor 112a, the second sensor 112b, the third sensor 112c and the fourth sensor 112d which are installed in each tire 113. The charger controller 123 is operable to detect a distance between the first sensor 112a and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance Ax"), a distance between the second sensor 112b and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance Bx"), a distance between the third sensor 112c and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance Cx"), and a distance between the fourth sensor 112d and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance Dx"). The charger controller 123 is further operable to detect a distance between the first sensor 112a and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance Ay"), a distance between the second sensor 112b and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance By"), a distance between the third sensor 112c and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance Cy"), and a distance between the fourth sensor 112d and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance Dy").

In some embodiments, the charger controller 123 is further operable to calculate an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the sensor 112.

In some other embodiments, the communication unit 122 includes the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b. In addition, the sensor 112 includes the first sensor 112a, the second sensor 112b, the third sensor 112c and the fourth sensor 112d which are installed in each tire 113. The charger controller 123 is operable to calculate an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the first sensor 112a (hereinafter referred to as "angle Ow"), an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the second sensor 112b (hereinafter referred to as "angle ex"), an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the third sensor 112c (hereinafter referred to as "angle ey"), and an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the fourth sensor 112d (hereinafter referred to as "angle ez").

The charger controller 123 is further operable to calculate a difference between the detected distance and a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is a distance between the sensor 112 and the communication unit 122, when the vehicle 110 is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad 121. In some embodiments, the predetermined position is a position of the vehicle 110 in which the wireless charging can be achieved for a desired percentage or amount. For example, the predetermined position is a position of the vehicle 110 in which the vehicle pad 114 and the ground pad 121 are overlapped for a predetermined value.

In some embodiments, the predetermined distance includes a first predetermined distance which is a distance between the sensor 112 and the first communication unit 122a when the vehicle 110 is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad 121, and a second predetermined distance which is a distance between the sensor 112 and the second communication unit 122b when the vehicle 110 is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad 121.

In some embodiments, the charger controller 123 is operable to calculate a first difference between the first distance and the first predetermined distance, a second difference between the second distance and the second predetermined distance, and a third difference between the angle and a predetermined angle.

In some embodiments, the predetermined angle is set as an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the sensor 112 when the vehicle 110 is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad 121. The charger controller 123 can determine a steering turn angle for moving the vehicle 110 to the predetermined position, based on the third difference between the angle and a predetermined angle.

Thereafter, the charger controller 123 is operable to transmit the information on the calculated difference to the vehicle controller 111 via the date communication. The data communication includes, but is not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio frequency

(RE) and near field communication (NEC).

The vehicle controller 111 is operable to receive the information on the calculated difference and control the vehicle 110 to move to a predetermined position on the ground pad 121 based on the calculated difference. For example, the vehicle alignment control unit 111b of the vehicle controller 111 may control the vehicle 110 to move to the predetermined position on the ground pad 121 based on the calculated difference. The vehicle controller 111 can determine a steering turn angle for moving the vehicle 110 to the predetermined position, based on the third difference between the detected angle and the predetermined angle.

In some embodiments, the vehicle controller 111 and the charger controller 123 may 30 continue to communication until the vehicle 110 moves to the predetermined position.

In some other embodiments, once the vehicle controller 111 receives the information on the calculated difference from the charger controller 123, the vehicle controller 111 and the charger controller 123 may stop or pause communication each other, and the vehicle controller 111 may control the vehicle 110 until the vehicle moves to the predetermined position.

In some embodiments, based on the calculated value, the vehicle controller 111 may automatically re-align the vehicle 110 until the differences in distance and angle are zero (0). In other words, the vehicle controller 111 may automatically re-align the vehicle 110 until the detected distance and detected angle are achieved to the predetermined distance and predetermined angle. In this manner, the vehicle 110 may be auto-positioned such that the vehicle pad 114 and the ground pad 121 are aligned as shown in Fig. 2.

In some other embodiments, based on the calculated value, the vehicle controller 111 may automatically re-align the vehicle 110 until the differences in distance and angle are a predetermined value. For example, the vehicle controller 111 may re-align the vehicle 111, and then stop re-aligning the vehicle 110 when the differences in distance and angle are equal to or lower than the predetermined value.

The vehicle controller 111 is operable to send a notification to the communication unit 122, once the vehicle 110 is moved to the predetermined position on the ground pad 121. The charger 120 is operable to commence charging the vehicle 110, once the communication unit 122 receives the notification.

In some embodiments, the vehicle controller 111 may detect once the vehicle 110 is in the range of the wall box 127 and establish the communication with the wall box 127. When the vehicle 110 is in a wireless coverage range, the vehicle controller 111 may control the vehicle 110 to move to a predetermined position on the ground pad 121 based on the calculated difference. It may be appreciated that if the vehicle 110 is not in the wireless coverage area, no action may be performed.

Therefore, the system 100 in accordance with the present invention can minimise loss of energy during the charging the vehicle 110 and thereby improve an efficiency in charging the vehicle 110, as the vehicle 110 is automatically aligned with a desired position on the ground pad 121 of the charger 120. In addition, the system 100 in accordance with the present invention can utilise a sensor 112 (for example, tire pressure sensor) which is already installed in the vehicle 110 to detect the distance between the vehicle 110 and the charger 120, and thus it is not needed to install additional sensor to achieve this function.

As shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle 110 includes the first sensor 112a, the second sensor 112b, the third sensor 112c and the fourth sensor 112d which are installed in each tire 113 of the vehicle 110. The charger 120 includes the ground pad 121. The first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b are installed in the ground pad 121. As shown in Fig. 3, the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b are apart from each other in the ground pad 121. In some embodiments, an inductive coil 128 is disposed between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b and is operable to charge the vehicle pad 114 of the vehicle 110.

The predetermined distance may be optimised for accurate alignment of the vehicle pad 114 and the ground pad 121. The predetermined distance is a distance between the sensor 112 (i.e. the first sensor 112a, the second sensor 112b, the third sensor 112c and the fourth sensor 112d) and the communication unit 122, when the vehicle is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad 121. In some embodiments, the predetermined position is a position of the vehicle 110 in which the wireless charging can be achieved for a desired percentage or amount. For example, the predetermined position is a position of the vehicle 110 in which the vehicle pad 114 and the ground pad 121 are overlapped for a predetermined value. Fig. 3 shows a diagram in which the vehicle 110 is placed on the predetermined position on the ground pad 121 of the charger 120.

As shown in Fig. 3, the predetermined distance includes a first predetermined distance which is a distance between the sensor 112 (i.e. the first sensor 112a, the second sensor 112b, the third sensor 112c and the fourth sensor 112d) and the first communication unit 122a, when the vehicle 110 is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad 121. The first predetermined distance includes a distance between the first sensor 112a and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance Al"), a distance between the second sensor 112b and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance B1"), a distance between the third sensor 112c and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance Cl"), and a distance between the fourth sensor 112d and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance D1").

As shown in Fig. 3, the predetermined distance includes a second predetermined distance which is a distance between the sensor 112 (i.e. the first sensor 112a, the second sensor 112b, the third sensor 112c and the fourth sensor 112d) and the second communication unit 122b, when the vehicle 110 is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad 121. The second predetermined distance includes a distance between the first sensor 112a and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance A2"), a distance between the second sensor 112b and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance B2"), a distance between the third sensor 112c and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance C2"), and a distance between the fourth sensor 112d and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance D2").

As shown in Fig. 3, the predetermined angle is set as an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the sensor 112 (i.e. the first sensor 112a, the second sensor 112b, the third sensor 112c and the fourth sensor 112d), when the vehicle 110 is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad 121. The predetermined angle includes an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the first sensor 112a (hereinafter referred to as "angle 81"), an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the second sensor 112b (hereinafter referred to as "angle 02"), an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the third sensor 112c (hereinafter referred to as "angle 03"), and an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the fourth sensor 112d (hereinafter referred to as "angle 04").

It may be appreciated that a distance between each sensor 112 may be stored in the 10 memory (not shown) or the ECU 111c of the vehicle 110. The distance between each sensor 112 includes a distance between the first sensor 112a and the second sensor 112b (hereinafter referred to as "distance AB1"), a distance between the third sensor 112c and the fourth sensor 112d (hereinafter referred to as "distance CD1"), a distance between the first sensor 112a and the third sensor 112c (hereinafter referred 15 to as "distance Ad"), and a distance between the second sensor 112b and the fourth sensor 112d (hereinafter referred to as "distance BD1").

It may also be appreciated that a distance between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "El") may be stored in the memory of the vehicle 110.

As described above, the distances AB1, CD1, Ad, BD1 and El are fixed distances which are related to the vehicle 110. It may be appreciated that the distances AB1 and CD1 may be equidistant, and the distances AC1 and BD1 may be equidistant. It may also be appreciated that the distance El is a fixed distance.

During parking for charging, the charger controller 123 may detect a distance between the sensor 112 (i.e. the first sensor 112a, the second sensor 112b, the third sensor 112c and the fourth sensor 112d) and the communication unit 122 (i.e. the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b). In some embodiments, the vehicle alignment control unit 111b may detect the distance.

Specifically, during parking for charging, the charger controller 123 is operable to detect a distance between the first sensor 112a and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance Ax"), a distance between the second sensor 112b and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance Bx"), a distance between the third sensor 112c and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance Cx"), and a distance between the fourth sensor 112d and the first communication unit 122a (hereinafter referred to as "distance Dx").

The charger controller 123 is further operable to detect a distance between the first sensor 112a and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance Ay"), a distance between the second sensor 112b and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance By"), a distance between the third sensor 112c and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance Cy"), and a distance between the fourth sensor 112d and the second communication unit 122b (hereinafter referred to as "distance Dy").

During parking for charging, the charger controller 123 is further operable to calculate an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the first sensor 112a (hereinafter referred to as "angle Ow"), an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the second sensor 112b (hereinafter referred to as "angle Ox"), an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the third sensor 112c (hereinafter referred to as "angle ey"), and an angle between the first communication unit 122a and the second communication unit 122b with respect to the fourth sensor 112d (hereinafter referred to as "angle Oz").

The charger controller 123 may then compare and calculate differences between the detected distance Ax, Bx, Cx, Dx, Ay, By, Cy and Dy and the predetermined distance Al, 31, Cl, D1, A2, 32, C2 and D2. If the vehicle 110 is not aligned on the predetermined position, the detected distances Ax, Bx, Cx, Dx, Ay, By, Cy and Dy may not be equal to the predetermined distances Al, Bl, Cl, D1, A2, 32, C2 and D2.

The differences (also referred to as "first and second differences") between the detected distance and the predetermined distance include a difference between the 30 detected distance Ax and the predetermined distance Al (e.g. Al -Ax = AA1), a difference between the detected distance Bx and the predetermined distance 31 (e.g. B1 -Bx = AB1), a difference between the detected distance Cx and the predetermined distance Cl (e.g. Cl -Cx = AC1), a difference between the detected distance Dx and the predetermined distance D1 (e.g. D1 -Dx = AD1), a difference between the detected distance Ay and the predetermined distance A2 (e.g. A2 -Ay = AA2), a difference between the detected distance By and the predetermined distance B2 (e.g. B2 -By = AB2), a difference between the detected distance Cy and the predetermined distance C2 (e.g. C2 -Cy = AC2), and a difference between the detected distance Dy and the predetermined distance D2 (e.g. 02 -Dy = AD2).

The differences (also referred to as "third difference") between the detected angle and the predetermined angle include a difference between the detected angle Ow and the predetermined angle 01 (e.g. 01 -Ow = A01), a difference between the detected angle Ox and the predetermined angle 02 (e.g. 02 -Ox = A02), a difference between the detected angle ey and the predetermined angle 03 (e.g. 03 -ey = A83), and a difference between the detected angle Oz and the predetermined angle 84 (e.g. 04 -Oz = A04).

Based on the calculated value, the vehicle controller 111 may automatically re-align the vehicle 110 until the first, second and third differences are zero (0). In other words, the vehicle controller 111 may automatically re-align the vehicle 110 until the detected distance and detected angle are achieved to the predetermined distance and predetermined angle. In this manner, the vehicle 110 may be auto-positioned such that the vehicle pad 114 and the ground pad 121 are aligned. The vehicle controller 111 can determine a steering turn angle for moving the vehicle 110 to the predetermined position, based on the third difference between the detected angle and the predetermined angle.

In some other embodiments, based on the calculated value, the vehicle controller 111 may automatically re-align the vehicle 110 until the differences in distance and angle are equal to or lower than a predetermined value. For example, the vehicle controller 111 may re-align the vehicle 111, and then stop re-aligning the vehicle 110 when the differences in distance and angle are equal to or lower than the predetermined value.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the charger controller 123 detects a distance between the sensor 112 of the vehicle 110 and the communication unit 122 of the charger 120 (S110). The charger controller 123 then calculates a difference between the detected distance and a predetermined distance (5120). The predetermined distance is a distance in which the vehicle 110 is placed on a predetermined position of the ground pad 121 of the charger 120.

Next, it is determined whether the vehicle 110 places on the predetermined position of the ground pad 121 based on the calculated difference (5130). In some embodiments, the charger controller 123 determines whether the vehicle 110 places on the predetermined position of the ground pad 121 based on the calculated difference. In some other embodiments, after the charger controller 123 sends the information on the calculated difference to the vehicle controller 111, the vehicle controller 111 determines whether the vehicle 110 places on the predetermined position of the ground pad 121 based on the calculated difference.

If the vehicle 110 places on the predetermined position of the ground pad 121, the vehicle controller 111 sends a notification to the communication unit 122. The charger 120 then commences charging the vehicle 110 (5150).

If however the vehicle 110 does not place on the predetermined position of the ground pad 121, the vehicle controller 111 controls the vehicle 110 to move to the predetermined position based on the calculated difference (5140). The vehicle controller 111 is operable to send a notification to the communication unit 122, once the vehicle 110 is moved to the predetermined position on the ground pad 121. The charger 120 then commences charging the vehicle 110 (5150), once the communication unit 122 receives the notification.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. However, this is merely an exemplarily embodiment, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and equivalents are possible in light of the above embodiments.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

100: System 110: Vehicle 111: Vehicle controller 111a: Tire pressure monitoring unit 111b: Vehicle alignment control unit 111c: Engine control unit (ECU) 112: Sensor 112a: First sensor 112b: Second sensor 112c: Third sensor 112d: Fourth sensor 113: Tire 113a: First tire 113b: Second tire 113c: Third tire 113d: Fourth tire 114: Vehicle pad 115: Vehicle Wi-Fi module 120: Charger 121: Ground pad 122: Communication unit 112a: First communication unit 112b: Second communication unit 123: Charger controller 124: Wire 125: Charger Wi-Fi module 126: Wall-mounted charger 127: Wall box 128: Inductive coil 130: Parking lot

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system for facilitating charging a vehicle comprising: the vehicle comprising: a vehicle controller operable to control the vehicle, and a sensor installed in a tire of the vehicle; and a charger comprising: a ground pad operable to charge the vehicle, and a communication unit installed in the ground pad and capable of data communication with the vehicle controller, characterised in that: the charger further comprises a charger controller operable to detect a distance between the sensor and the ground pad, and calculate a difference between the detected distance and a predetermined distance, and the vehicle controller is operable to control the vehicle to move to a predetermined position on the ground pad based on the calculated difference.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit is operable to transmit information to the sensor and then receive the information from the sensor; and the charger controller is operable to detect the distance between the sensor and the communication unit based on time difference between the transmission and the receipt of the information.
3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the communication unit comprises a first communication unit and a second communication unit installed in the ground pad.
4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the first communication unit and the second communication unit are apart from each other.
5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined distance includes a first predetermined distance which is a distance between the sensor and the first communication unit when the vehicle is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad; and a second predetermined distance which is a distance between the sensor and the second communication unit when the vehicle is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad.
6. The system according to claim 5 further comprising a vehicle pad installed in the vehicle and operable to receive electricity from the ground pad, wherein the predetermined position is a position of the vehicle in which the vehicle pad and the ground pad are overlapped for a predetermined value.
7. The system according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and the second communication units includes a transceiver.
8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the charger controller is operable to detect a first distance between the sensor and the first communication unit and a second distance between the sensor and the second communication unit.
9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the charger controller is operable to calculate an angle between the first and the second communication units with respect to the sensor.
10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the charger controller is operable to calculate a first difference between the first distance and the first predetermined distance, a second difference between the second distance and the second predetermined distance, and a third difference between the angle and a predetermined angle.
11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined angle is set as an angle between the first and the second communication units with respect to the sensor when the vehicle is located on the predetermined position on the ground pad.
12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle controller is operable to determine a steering turn angle for moving the vehicle to the predetermined position, based on the third difference.
13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle controller is operable to send a notification to the communication unit, once the vehicle is moved to the predetermined position on the ground pad.
14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the charger is operable to commence charging the vehicle, once the communication unit receives the notification.
15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor and a fourth sensor installed in each tire of the vehicle.
16. The system according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the first, the second, the third and the fourth sensor includes a tire pressure sensor.
17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller includes a vehicle control unit.
18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data communication includes at least one of VVi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio frequency (RF) and near field communication (NFC).
19. A method of facilitating charging a vehicle comprising steps of: detecting a distance between a sensor of the vehicle and a ground pad of a charger, via a data communication between a vehicle controller of the vehicle and a communication unit of the charger; calculating a difference between the detected distance and a predetermined distance; and controlling the vehicle to move to a predetermined position on the ground pad based on the calculated difference.
20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising steps of: transmitting information from the communication unit to the sensor; receiving the information from the sensor to the communication unit; and detecting the distance between the sensor and the communication unit based on time difference between the transmission and the receipt of the information.