Method of configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain of an electric vehicle and devices and systems therefor

Abstract

The present application relates to a method of configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain of electric vehicles and apparatus and system thereof. A method of configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain by a first vehicle, the method comprising: detecting a second vehicle configurable for the longitudinal wireless charging chain; calculating a distance to the second vehicle; performing lateral alignment with the second vehicle based on the calculated distance being within a first distance; and performing longitudinal alignment with the second vehicle based on the calculated distance being within a second distance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to wireless charging technology for electric vehicles, and more specifically, to technology for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain by aligning an electric vehicle equipped with a wireless power transmitting / receiving pad for wireless charging. Background Technology

[0002] As the expansion of electric vehicles is activated, interest in charging electric vehicles is increasing. Current electric vehicle charging systems involve connecting electric vehicles to dedicated charging plugs located at individual charging stations or in homes / parking lots.

[0003] However, charging electric vehicles takes longer than refueling, and there are difficulties in charging due to the lack of sufficient charging stations.

[0004] Therefore, there is increasing interest in wireless charging for electric vehicles as an alternative to existing charging stations.

[0005] According to the wireless charging method for electric vehicles, when a vehicle equipped with a wireless charging receiving pad is placed on a wireless power transmitting pad buried in the ground and current is applied to the wireless power transmitting pad, electrical energy is transmitted to the vehicle's wireless charging receiving pad to charge the battery installed in the vehicle by inducing magnetic resonance.

[0006] Compared to traditional pulse-based charging methods, wireless charging methods for electric vehicles are subject to space constraints.

[0007] However, in the case of wireless charging for vehicles waiting at intersections, as many wireless power transmitting pads as there are electric vehicles waiting at intersections would need to be buried in the road.

[0008] Specifically, the number of wireless power transmitting pads required varies with traffic flow over time, making it difficult to manage the pads efficiently.

[0009] Furthermore, when many wireless power transmitting pads are buried in roads, maintenance of the transmitting pads is not easy. Summary of the Invention

[0010] This summary is provided to present, in a simplified form, a selection of concepts that will be further described in the detailed embodiments below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0011] In one general aspect, a method for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain by a first vehicle includes: detecting a second vehicle configurable with the longitudinal wireless charging chain; calculating the distance to the second vehicle; performing lateral alignment with the second vehicle within a first distance based on the calculated distance; and performing longitudinal alignment with the second vehicle within a second distance based on the calculated distance.

[0012] The distance to the second vehicle can be calculated using either or both of an ultrasonic sensor installed in the first vehicle and a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system.

[0013] Detecting a second vehicle via vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.

[0014] Performing lateral alignment with the second vehicle may include: classifying objects by pixel analysis of images captured by a camera; calculating the average lateral position of pixels corresponding to a specific object in the classified objects; and performing lateral steering control by comparing the average lateral position with half the lateral pixels of the image.

[0015] The specific object of the classification can be the license plate of the second vehicle.

[0016] The specific objects of the classification can be dynamically determined based on the vehicle type of the second vehicle.

[0017] The camera can be a front-facing camera for a surround view monitor (SVM).

[0018] The execution of lateral alignment may include: performing steering control of the first vehicle in a first direction based on the average lateral position being greater than 1 / 2 of the lateral pixels of the image; and performing steering control of the first vehicle in a second direction different from the first direction based on the average lateral position being less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the lateral pixels of the image.

[0019] The execution of longitudinal alignment may include: reducing the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses; setting a short-range detection limit distance corresponding to the reduced number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses; measuring the ringing time; and performing fine longitudinal alignment based on the measured ringing time up to the short-range detection limit distance.

[0020] The number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses can be reduced to one.

[0021] In another general aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure one or more processors to perform operations for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain by a vehicle operatively connected to another vehicle via a communication network, the operations including: detecting the other vehicle operatively configured with the longitudinal wireless charging chain; calculating the distance to the other vehicle; performing lateral alignment with the other vehicle within the calculated distance; and performing longitudinal alignment with the other vehicle within another distance based on the calculated distance.

[0022] In another general aspect, an electric vehicle configured for wireless charging includes: a vehicle terminal configured to communicate with another vehicle; vehicle sensors including a camera, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor; and an electric vehicle (EV) charging device configured to: detect another vehicle configurable for a longitudinal wireless charging chain in operative connection with the vehicle terminal; calculate the distance to the other vehicle in operative connection with the vehicle sensors; and perform lateral and longitudinal alignment with the other vehicle based on the calculated distance.

[0023] The EV charging device can also be configured to: perform lateral alignment within a first distance based on the distance to another vehicle; and perform longitudinal alignment within a second distance based on the distance to another vehicle. The first distance may be longer than the second distance.

[0024] The distance to another vehicle can be calculated using either or both of ultrasonic sensors and LiDAR. Cameras may include surround view monitoring (SVM) front cameras.

[0025] Another vehicle can be detected through vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.

[0026] The EV charging device can also be configured to classify objects by pixel analysis of images captured by a camera, calculate the average lateral position of pixels corresponding to specific objects in the classified objects, and perform lateral steering control by comparing the average lateral position with half of the lateral pixels in the images captured by the camera.

[0027] The specific object of the classification could be the license plate of another vehicle.

[0028] It is possible to dynamically determine specific objects for classification based on the vehicle type of another vehicle.

[0029] The EV charging device can be operatively connected to the steering system via an in-vehicle communication network. The EV charging device can also be configured to: perform steering control to move the vehicle relative to the driving direction in a first direction based on an average lateral position greater than half of the lateral pixels of the image; and perform steering control to move the vehicle relative to the driving direction in a second direction different from the first direction based on an average lateral position less than or equal to half of the lateral pixels of the image.

[0030] The EV charging device can also be configured to reduce the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses used for longitudinal alignment, set a short-range detection limit distance corresponding to the reduced number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses, and perform fine longitudinal alignment based on the measured ringing time up to the short-range detection limit distance. The EV charging device can reduce the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses to one.

[0031] Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the overall structure of a wireless power transmission system according to an embodiment.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the detailed structure of a wireless charging system for electric vehicles according to an embodiment.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a configuration diagram of a vertical wireless charging chain according to an implementation method.

[0035] Figure 4 An example is illustrated of a method for configuring a longitudinal charging chain by aligning wireless power transmitting / receiving pads between vehicles using electric vehicles, according to an embodiment.

[0036] Figure 5 An example is provided of a method for classifying each image pixel in an image captured by an SVM front-facing camera, according to an embodiment.

[0037] Figure 6 A waveform illustrating the number of transmitted (drive) pulses from an ultrasonic sensor according to an embodiment is shown.

[0038] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain according to an embodiment.

[0039] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain according to another embodiment.

[0040] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0041] Throughout the accompanying drawings and detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. The drawings may not be drawn to scale, and the relative dimensions, scale, and drawing of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, illustrative purposes, and convenience. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The following detailed description is provided to aid the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein will be apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application. For example, the sequences of operations described herein are merely illustrative and are not limited to those sequences set forth herein, but may be varied as will become apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application, except for operations that must occur in a specific order. Furthermore, for clarity and conciseness, descriptions of features known upon understanding the disclosure of this application may be omitted.

[0043] The features described herein may be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples described herein. Rather, the examples described herein are provided only to illustrate some of the many possible ways in which the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein will become apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application.

[0044] Throughout the specification, when an element (such as a layer, region, or substrate) is described as being "on," "connected to," or "attached to" another element, it may be directly "on," "connected to," or "attached to" the other element, or there may be one or more other elements in between. Conversely, when an element is described as being "directly on," "directly connected to," or "directly attached to" another element, there may be no other elements in between.

[0045] As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any one and any combination of any two or more of the associated listed items.

[0046] Although terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used herein to describe various components, parts, regions, layers, or sections, these components, parts, regions, layers, or sections are not limited by these terms. Rather, these terms are used only to distinguish one component, part, region, layer, or section from another. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the examples described herein, the first component, part, region, layer, or section mentioned in the examples may also be referred to as the second component, part, region, layer, or section.

[0047] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as “above,” “on,” “below,” and “under” are used herein to describe the relationship between one element and another as shown in the figure. In addition to the orientations shown in the figure, these spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device during use or operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, an element described as “above” or “on” relative to another element will then be “below” or “under” relative to that other element. Thus, depending on the spatial orientation of the device, the term “above” encompasses both upward and downward orientations. The device may also be oriented in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative terms used herein shall be interpreted accordingly.

[0048] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing various examples only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” specify the presence of the stated features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof.

[0049] Due to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances, variations in the shape shown in the figures may occur. Therefore, the examples described herein are not limited to the specific shapes shown in the figures, but encompass changes in shape that may occur during manufacturing.

[0050] After understanding the disclosure of this application, it will be apparent that the features of the examples described herein can be combined in various ways. Furthermore, although the examples described herein have various configurations, other configurations are possible after understanding the disclosure of this application.

[0051] One object of this disclosure is to provide a method, apparatus, and system thereof for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain by aligning an electric vehicle equipped with a wireless power transmitting / receiving pad.

[0052] Another object of this disclosure is to provide a method for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain capable of charging multiple electric vehicles with a single wireless power supply device.

[0053] Another object of this disclosure is to provide a cost-effective wireless charging system for electric vehicles.

[0054] Another object of this disclosure is to provide an easy-to-maintain wireless charging system for electric vehicles.

[0055] Another object of this disclosure is to provide a wireless charging system that can wirelessly charge multiple electric vehicles via a single supply device while electric vehicles are temporarily stopped or parked at an intersection, thereby effectively addressing issues related to the capacity and weight of electric vehicle batteries and efficiently reducing the initial investment cost in the facility.

[0056] When electric vehicles temporarily stop or are parked at intersections, multiple electric vehicles can be wirelessly charged via a single supply unit in a longitudinal chain. This effectively addresses issues related to the capacity and weight of electric vehicle batteries and significantly reduces the initial investment costs in the facility.

[0057] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 9 The embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail.

[0058] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the overall structure of a wireless power transmission system according to an embodiment.

[0059] Reference Figure 1 The wireless power transmission system 100 may include a supply device 10 and an electric vehicle (EV) device 20.

[0060] The supply device 10 can convert AC (or DC) power supplied from the power supply network 30 into AC power required by the EV charging device 20, and then send the converted AC power to the EV charging device 20 using a predetermined wireless power transmission method.

[0061] The supply device 10 and the EV charging device 20 can be wirelessly connected to exchange various information for wireless power transmission.

[0062] The EV charging device 20 can rectify the wireless power received from the supply device 10 and then supply the power to the on-board (i.e., vehicle-mounted) rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) to charge the battery used to drive the vehicle.

[0063] The supply device 10 according to the embodiment can be buried in or installed on roads, parking lots, etc., but this is only one embodiment. The supply device 10 can be installed on a wall or disposed in the air.

[0064] The EV charging device 20 can be installed on one side of the lower part of the vehicle. However, this is only one embodiment. According to those skilled in the art, the electric device can be installed on one side of the front / rear bumper, one side of the left / right rearview mirror, or one side of the upper part of the vehicle.

[0065] According to the embodiment, the supply device 10 can be operatively connected to other supply devices via a wired or wireless communication system.

[0066] The EV charging device 20 according to the embodiment can be operatively connected to another EV charging device via a wireless communication system. For this purpose, the EV charging device 20 can be connected to a vehicle terminal (not shown) via an in-vehicle communication network. For example, the wireless communication system can be a multiple access system that supports communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmission power, etc.). Examples of multiple access systems can include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) systems, and Multi-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (MC-FDMA) systems.

[0067] According to the embodiment, the EV charging device 20 can be wirelessly connected to another power supply device. As an example, the EV charging device 20 can be connected to multiple power supply devices 10. In this case, the EV charging device 20 can simultaneously receive wireless power from the power supply devices 10. Based on the wireless charging efficiency between the EV charging device 20 and the power supply devices 10, the EV charging device 20 can dynamically determine at least one power supply device 10 to receive power.

[0068] The EV charging device 20 according to the embodiment can be used as a power repeater to send power received from the supply device 10 to another EV charging device. In this case, the EV charging device 20 may include a wireless power receiver configured to receive wireless power and a wireless power transmitter configured to transmit wireless power. The wireless power receiver and wireless power transmitter may be installed in different locations in the vehicle, but this is only one embodiment. The wireless power receiver and wireless power transmitter may be configured as a module and installed. As an example, the wireless power receiver for receiving power from the supply device 10 may be located on one side of the lower part of the vehicle, and the wireless power receiver for receiving power from the wireless power transmitter of another vehicle may be located in the center of the front bumper of the vehicle. In addition, the wireless power transmitter for wirelessly transmitting power to another vehicle may be located in the center of the rear bumper of the vehicle. As another example, an integrated module (hereinafter referred to as "integrated transceiver") implemented to enable wireless power transmission and reception may be located on one side of the side mirror of the vehicle, and the wireless power receiver for receiving power from the supply device 10 may be located on one side of the lower (or upper) part of the vehicle. As another example, a wireless power receiver for receiving power from the supply device 10 can be disposed on one side of the lower (or upper) part of the vehicle, and a wireless power receiver for receiving power from another vehicle in front of the vehicle can be disposed in the center of the front bumper of the vehicle. Furthermore, a wireless power transmitter for sending power to another vehicle behind the vehicle can be disposed in the center of the rear bumper of the vehicle, and an integrated transceiver can be disposed on one side of the left / right side mirror of the vehicle.

[0069] According to the above embodiments, a vehicle equipped with an EV charging device 20 according to the present disclosure can be flexibly configured with longitudinal and / or lateral wireless charging chains.

[0070] The EV charging device 20 can control at least one switch located in the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver to turn the operation of the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver on / off.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the EV charging device 20 of the first vehicle can be operatively connected to the EV charging device 20 disposed in the second vehicle to wirelessly divide and transmit power to the second vehicle. In this case, the amount of power to be charged for the first and second vehicles can be determined based on the battery charging level of each vehicle.

[0072] According to the embodiment, the EV charging device 20 can determine whether to allow power relay to another vehicle based on the battery charging level of RESS 40. For example, when the battery charging level (or battery output voltage) of the first vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, the EV charging device 20 of the first vehicle can send the power received from the supply device 10 to the EV charging device 20 of the second vehicle. On the other hand, when the battery charging level (or battery output voltage) of the first vehicle is less than the predetermined reference value, the EV charging device 20 of the first vehicle can control the power received from the supply device 10 not to be relayed to the EV charging device 20 of the second vehicle.

[0073] The vehicle terminal can connect to another vehicle terminal or base station (or roadside unit (RSU)) to exchange various information.

[0074] V2X refers to a communication technology used to exchange information with other vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure via wired / wireless communication. V2X can be classified into four types: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) for vehicle-to-vehicle communication; vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication; vehicle-to-network (V2N) for vehicle-to-communication network communication; and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) for vehicle-to-pedestrian communication. V2X communication can be provided via PC5 and / or Uu interfaces.

[0075] Sidelink (SL) is a communication scheme that establishes a direct wireless link between vehicle terminals to enable direct exchange of information between them without the intervention of a base station (BS) or infrastructure (e.g., a remote unit). SL is considered a way to alleviate the burden on the BS and minimize transmission latency in vehicle-to-vehicle communication in response to rapidly increasing data traffic.

[0076] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the detailed structure of a wireless charging system for electric vehicles according to an embodiment.

[0077] Specifically, Figure 2 The detailed structure of an electric vehicle wireless charging system for providing a longitudinal wireless charging chain is illustrated, as well as the process of configuring the longitudinal wireless charging chain therethrough.

[0078] Reference Figure 2 The wireless charging system 200 for electric vehicles may include a supply device 10, a power supply network 30, a first electric vehicle 201, and a second electric vehicle 202. Figure 2The implementation described herein is an example of a longitudinal wireless charging chain configuration for two electric vehicles, but this is merely one implementation. The number of electric vehicles constituting the longitudinal wireless charging chain can be greater than or equal to two. The maximum number of electric vehicles that can participate in the configuration of a longitudinal wireless charging chain according to a supply device 10 can be predefined or adaptively determined based on the battery charging level (and / or battery output voltage) of the electric vehicles participating in the longitudinal wireless charging chain.

[0079] The first electric vehicle 201 and the second electric vehicle 202 may be equipped with EV charging devices 210 and 240, respectively. The first electric vehicle 201 may receive wireless power from the supply device 10 via the first EV charging device 210 in an electromagnetic induction manner. The first EV charging device 210 may transmit a portion (or all) of the power received from the supply device 10 to the second EV charging device 240 via an inter-vehicle wireless power transmission pad upon request from the second EV charging device 240. As an example, the first EV charging device 210 may dynamically determine whether to transmit wireless power to the second EV charging device 240 and the amplitude and / or amount of power transmitted based on the battery charging level (or battery output voltage) of the first EV charging device 210's RESS 230 and the battery charging level (or battery output voltage) of the second electric vehicle 260's RESS 260.

[0080] Reference Figure 2 Each of the first EV charging device 210 and the second EV charging device 240 may include control communication units 211 and 241, power converters 212 and 242, main receiving pads 213 and 243, and inter-vehicle power receiving pads 214 and 244 and inter-vehicle power transmitting pads 215 and 245.

[0081] Control communication units 211 and 241 can control the input / output and overall operation of the corresponding EV charging devices and can communicate with external devices. As an example, control communication unit 211 of the first EV charging device 210 can send and receive various control signals and status information to and from control communication unit 241 of the second EV charging device 240 via in-band (or out-of-band) communication. Additionally, control communication unit 211 can exchange various control signals and status information with vehicle terminal 220 via an in-vehicle communication network. Here, the status information sent between EV charging devices may include, but is not limited to, information about the battery charging level and information about the battery output voltage. In this embodiment, information about the battery charging level and information about the battery output voltage of each electric vehicle can be exchanged via communication between vehicle terminals.

[0082] The control communication unit 211 can obtain information about the current location of the second electric vehicle 202 and its capabilities via the vehicle terminal 220. Here, the vehicle terminal 220 of the first electric vehicle 201 can connect to the vehicle terminal 250 of the second electric vehicle 202 via V2X communication or the like to exchange various information. The capabilities information may include information about whether the corresponding electric vehicle is capable of inter-vehicle wireless charging. When the corresponding electric vehicle is capable of inter-vehicle wireless charging, the capabilities information may include identification information about whether the vehicles can form a longitudinal or lateral wireless charging chain. However, the implementation is not limited to this.

[0083] The control communication unit 211 can exchange various control signals and status information with the control communication unit 13 of the supply device 10 through in-band (or out-of-band) communication.

[0084] When the main receiving pad 213 of the first electric vehicle 201 is aligned with the main transmitting pad 11, the control communication unit 13 of the supply device 10 can convert the power supplied from the power supply network 30 into the power required by the first electric vehicle 201. Thereafter, the converted power can be transmitted via the main transmitting pad 11 to the main receiving pad of the first electric vehicle 201 through electromagnetic induction.

[0085] In this embodiment, the control communication unit 13 of the supply device 10 can send location information (e.g., lane information, position in the lane, etc.) about the main transmitting pad 11 to the vehicle terminal (or control communication unit) of the adjacent electric vehicle via V2X communication (or short-range wireless communication). Additionally, the control communication unit 13 of the supply device 10 can provide the vehicle terminal (or control communication unit) of the adjacent electric vehicle with information such as whether wireless charging is currently in progress, information about available power (and / or charge amount), information about the type of vehicle that can be recharged, and information about the number of electric vehicles that can be additionally charged (or information about the number of electric vehicles constituting the current longitudinal wireless charging chain).

[0086] In this implementation, detailed information about the supply device 10, including location information about the main transmitting pad 11, can be provided through a vehicle navigation system. The vehicle navigation system can periodically receive supply device update information from a server to keep the information about the supply device up-to-date.

[0087] When the second electric vehicle 202 approaches within a predetermined distance of the first electric vehicle 201, the control communication unit 211 can establish a short-range wireless communication connection with the second EV charging device 240. Here, the short-range wireless communication can be in-band communication using a frequency band used for wireless power transmission, or out-of-band communication using a separate frequency band different from the frequency band used for wireless power transmission. As examples, out-of-band communication can include, but is not limited to, IEEE 802.11p communication, 4G LTE communication, and 5G New Radio (NR) millimeter-wave communication. Alternatively, Bluetooth communication, radio frequency identification (RFID) communication, near field communication (NFC), dedicated short-range infrared (DSRC) communication, or optical wireless communication (OWC) can be used.

[0088] The control communication unit 211 can adaptively select a short-range communication method based on communication capability information about adjacent electric vehicles. In this case, the capability information may include information about the communication schemes supported by the vehicle terminal.

[0089] When wireless power transmission to the second electric vehicle 202 is required, the control communication unit 211 can generate the AC power required by the second electric vehicle 202 via the power converter 212, and output the generated power through the inter-vehicle power transmission pad 215. The second EV charging device 240 can receive the wireless power signal transmitted by the first electric vehicle 201 via the inter-vehicle power receiving pad 244. The AC power received through the inter-vehicle power receiving pad 244 can be converted by the power converter 242 into the power required by the RESS 260 to charge the battery.

[0090] Figure 3 This is a configuration diagram of a vertical wireless charging chain according to an implementation method.

[0091] The method for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain according to this disclosure can be provided as an alternative solution to address the insufficient supply of wireless charging facilities for electric vehicles.

[0092] Reference Figure 3 When the first electric vehicle detects the main receiving pad of the supply device installed on the road surface, it can close the first switch SW0 to align the main transmitting pad and the main receiving pad. Once the alignment of the main transmitting pad and the receiving pad is complete, the supply device can determine the amount (or amplitude) of the transmitted power through power negotiation with the first electric vehicle, perform AC power conversion according to the determined power (or amplitude), and transmit wireless power.

[0093] The first electric vehicle can charge its battery by converting the electricity received via the main receiving pad into the power required by the battery.

[0094] When a second electric vehicle approaches the rear of a first electric vehicle that is charging, the second electric vehicle can use various sensors installed therein to align the inter-vehicle power transmitting pad of the first electric vehicle with the inter-vehicle power receiving pad of the second electric vehicle. In other words, the first and second electric vehicles can be configured into a longitudinal wireless charging chain through vehicle alignment.

[0095] When the inter-vehicle power transmitting pad of the first electric vehicle and the inter-vehicle power receiving pad of the second electric vehicle are aligned, the first electric vehicle can turn off the second switch SW2 to control the power required by the second electric vehicle to be transmitted to the inter-vehicle power receiving pad of the second electric vehicle via the inter-vehicle power transmitting pad of the first electric vehicle.

[0096] At this time, the power converter of the first electric vehicle can distribute the wireless power received from the supply device based on its battery charging level (or battery output voltage), and then use the distributed power to simultaneously perform the operation of charging its battery and supplying power to the second electric vehicle.

[0097] Of course, the first electric vehicle may cut off the wireless power relay supply to the second electric vehicle based on the charging level of its battery and / or the charging level of the second electric vehicle's battery.

[0098] After configuring the longitudinal wireless power transmission chain, the first electric vehicle can provide information to the supply unit (or a specific billing server) regarding the amount of wireless power supplied to the second electric vehicle. This information provided to the supply unit can then be used to charge both the first and second electric vehicles.

[0099] Figure 4 An example is illustrated of a method for configuring a longitudinal charging chain by aligning wireless power transmitting / receiving pads between vehicles using electric vehicles, according to an embodiment.

[0100] To increase the power transmission / reception efficiency of the wireless charging chain, the wireless power transmission / reception pads between vehicles should be aligned within a specific distance.

[0101] When the distance to the stationary first vehicle is within a first distance, the moving second vehicle can use predetermined image processing techniques to classify pixels from the image received by the Surround View Monitoring (SVM) front camera into objects. For example, the image captured by the SVM front camera can be input into a deep learning-based semantic segmentation network, enabling the pixels to be classified into objects. Here, objects can include vehicles, roads, road bumps, and license plates. As an example, the first distance can be set to 3 meters, but this is merely one implementation. The first distance can be adaptively set based on vehicle speed, weather, temperature, time zone, illuminance, etc.

[0102] According to the implementation method, object classification can be performed by inputting data obtained through data fusion between SVM cameras and radar (sensor fusion) into a deep learning-based semantic segmentation network.

[0103] SVM cameras can be mounted on the front / rear / left / right side of a vehicle to provide a wide field of view (via the front camera), a top-down view (via the front / left / right cameras), a left-side view (via the left camera), a right-side view (via the right camera), a rear view (via the rear camera), and so on.

[0104] Typically, the vehicle's SVM front camera and license plate are mounted in the center of the vehicle. Therefore, the two vehicles can be determined to be laterally aligned when the lateral average of the pixel positions of the front license plate is equal to half the lateral resolution of the image captured by the SVM front camera.

[0105] When the lateral average of the license plate pixel positions is less than half the lateral resolution of the image captured by the SVM front camera, the driver of the second vehicle can control the steering mechanism to move the second vehicle to the left. When the lateral average is greater than half the lateral resolution, the driver can move the second vehicle to the right. Thus, lateral alignment can be attempted.

[0106] Once the distance to the vehicle ahead is within a second distance after lateral alignment, the second vehicle can change the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses and measure the ringing time (RT) to begin longitudinal alignment. As an example, the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses per unit time can be reduced to improve the performance of short-range distance measurements of obstacles ahead. As an example, the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses can be reduced to, for example,... Figure 6 The figure shown is 1 / 16, which will be described later. For example, the second distance can be set to 60cm, but this is just one implementation. The second distance can be adaptively set based on vehicle speed, weather, temperature, time zone, illuminance, etc.

[0107] After the ultrasonic sensor drive pulse changes, when the distance to the vehicle in front is within a third distance (e.g., 10 cm), the second vehicle can perform fine longitudinal control based on the ultrasonic sensor RT value.

[0108] Figure 5 An example is provided of a method for classifying each image pixel in an image captured by an SVM front-facing camera, according to an embodiment.

[0109] Reference Figure 5 The image 510 captured by the front camera of the SVM can be input into the deep learning-based semantic segmentation network 520. The deep learning-based semantic segmentation network 520 can output a license plate classification image 530.

[0110] Figure 6 The waveform shown is based on the number of transmitted (drive) pulses from the ultrasonic sensor according to an embodiment.

[0111] RADAR, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors used in vehicles often struggle to accurately measure the distance to obstacles at short distances (30cm) or less. Because vehicle RADAR uses Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW), the signal frequency decreases as the distance to the obstacle decreases. Therefore, the signal is almost DC below 30cm, making it difficult to distinguish distances below this range. Furthermore, in the case of cameras, as the distance to the vehicle in front decreases, the size of the vehicle becomes larger than the corresponding image size, thus reducing proximity performance. Even typical vehicle ultrasonic sensors may fail to accurately identify the location of obstacles at distances below 30cm due to their limited response time (RT).

[0112] In this disclosure, the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses can be varied when the distance to the vehicle ahead is within 60 cm and only the road exists from the area of ​​the vehicle ahead to the bottom of the image; that is, when there are no obstacles such as road bumps. A typical vehicle ultrasonic sensor uses, for example... Figure 6 As shown in (a), multiple pulses (16 EA) are used to increase the transmitted energy. However, when multiple pulses are used, the RT increases proportionally to the number of pulses used, and therefore the short-range detection limit also increases. For example, when the ultrasonic sensor transmits 16 EA pulses, the RT is 1.15 ms. In this case, the short-range detection limit is 20 cm. The short-range detection limit of the ultrasonic sensor based on RT can be calculated using Equation 1 below.

[0113] [Formula 1]

[0114]

[0115] When there are no obstacles such as road bumps in the image from the SVM camera up to the vehicle ahead, the method proposed in this disclosure reduces the number of transmitted pulses from the ultrasonic sensor to reduce the minimum detection distance of the obstacle (the vehicle ahead) within the energy-concentrated beam angle. When the number of transmitted pulses is reduced from 16 EA to 1 EA, the RT is reduced to 0.5 ms, as... Figure 6As shown in (b), the longitudinal short-range detection limit distance can be shortened to 8.5 cm. Therefore, using the proposed method, the separation distance between the transmitting and receiving pads for inter-vehicle wireless charging can be minimized by minimizing the longitudinal distance between vehicles in the absence of vehicle collisions. As the distance between the wireless transmitting and receiving pads between vehicles decreases, the wireless power transmission efficiency can be maximized, and thus power waste can be minimized.

[0116] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain according to an embodiment.

[0117] Reference Figure 7 The first vehicle can calculate the distance to the second vehicle ahead when it detects a second vehicle that can be configured in the longitudinal wireless charging chain (S710).

[0118] Based on the calculated distance within a first distance, the first vehicle can analyze the image captured by the SVM front camera and perform lateral alignment with the second vehicle (S720).

[0119] After lateral alignment is completed, based on the calculated distance to the second vehicle within a second distance, the first vehicle can change the number of transmitted (drive) pulses of the ultrasonic sensor installed therein (S730). Here, the first vehicle can reduce the number of drive pulses of the ultrasonic sensor to reduce the short-range detection limitation distance. For example, the number of transmitted pulses of the ultrasonic sensor can be changed from 16EA to 1EA.

[0120] The first vehicle can perform fine longitudinal alignment with the second vehicle by measuring the ringing time of the ultrasonic sensor (S740). When the distance between the first and second vehicles is within the short-range detection limit distance according to the fine longitudinal alignment, the first vehicle can stop and perform longitudinal wireless charging between the vehicles.

[0121] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain according to another embodiment.

[0122] Reference Figure 8 The first vehicle can identify the second vehicle (S810) in front of it via V2X communication, which is configurable in the longitudinal wireless charging chain.

[0123] The first vehicle can use front LiDAR and ultrasonic sensors to measure the distance to the second vehicle (S820).

[0124] Based on the distance to the second vehicle within a first distance, the first vehicle can classify objects by pixel analysis of the image from the SVM front camera (S830). Here, the classified objects may include, but are not limited to, the second vehicle, road surface, road bumps, and the license plate of the second vehicle. For example, the first distance may be set to 300cm, but is not limited to this. The first distance can be adaptively set based on the corresponding vehicle's performance, driving speed, weather, temperature, time zone, etc.

[0125] The first vehicle can perform lateral alignment control with the second vehicle based on the average lateral position of the pixels of the license plate of the second vehicle's classification (S840). The first vehicle can output guidance information for lateral alignment through a provided display (e.g., the screen of a navigation system). The driver of the first vehicle can perform lateral alignment by manipulating the steering wheel according to the guidance information displayed on the display. For example, when the average lateral position u of the pixels of the second vehicle's license plate is greater than 1 / 2 of the lateral resolution of the image from the SVM camera, the first vehicle can provide guidance to control the steering wheel to the right. On the other hand, when the average lateral position u of the pixels of the second vehicle's license plate is less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the lateral resolution of the image from the SVM camera, the first vehicle can provide guidance to control the steering wheel to the left. When lateral alignment is completed, the first vehicle can output a predetermined notification message to notify the driver that lateral alignment is complete through a display screen (or speaker, vibration device, etc.).

[0126] Based on the distance to the second vehicle, within a second distance, the first vehicle can change the number of transmitted (drive) pulses of the set ultrasonic sensor and then measure the ringing time (S850). Here, the first vehicle can reduce the number of drive pulses of the ultrasonic sensor to reduce the short-range detection limitation distance. As an example, the number of transmitted pulses of the ultrasonic sensor can be varied from 16EA to 1EA, but this is only one implementation. The number of transmitted pulses of the ultrasonic sensor can be adaptively changed based on the specifications and performance of the ultrasonic sensor and / or the maximum (or minimum or optimal) separation distance between the wireless charging transmitting pad and receiving pad between vehicles to configure the longitudinal wireless charging chain. For example, the second distance can be set to 60cm, but this is only one implementation. The second distance can be adaptively set based on the performance of the corresponding vehicle, driving speed, weather, temperature, time zone, etc.

[0127] The first vehicle can perform fine longitudinal alignment with the second vehicle based on the measured ringing time (S860). In one embodiment, the first vehicle can perform fine longitudinal alignment based on the distance to the second vehicle being within a third distance. For example, the third distance can be set to 10 cm, but this is only one embodiment. The third distance can be adaptively set based on the performance of the corresponding vehicle, driving speed, weather, temperature, time zone, etc. When the distance between the first and second vehicles is within the short-range detection limit distance according to the fine longitudinal alignment, the first vehicle can output a predetermined notification message through a display screen (or speaker or vibration device, etc.) notifying that the vehicle-to-vehicle alignment for the configuration of the longitudinal wireless charging chain is complete. Then, it can automatically stop.

[0128] When the distance between the first and second vehicles is within the short-range detection limit based on fine longitudinal alignment, the first vehicle can stop and perform longitudinal wireless charging between the vehicles. That is, the first vehicle can charge its battery via wireless power from the second vehicle.

[0129] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0130] Reference Figure 9 The electric vehicle 900 may include a vehicle sensor 910, a battery 920, a vehicle terminal 930, an output device 940, an electronic control unit (ECU) 950, a memory 960, and an EV charging device 970.

[0131] Vehicle sensors 910 may include, but are not limited to, a camera 911, a LiDAR 912, and an ultrasonic sensor 913. It may also include intelligent parking assist system (SPAS) sensors and radar. Depending on the implementation, camera 911 may include an SVM camera. The SVM camera may include a front camera, a left / right side camera, and a rear camera.

[0132] Vehicle sensors 910, vehicle terminal 930, output device 940, and ECU 950 can be connected to EV charging device 970 via an in-vehicle communication network. This in-vehicle communication network may include, but is not limited to, Controller Area Network (CAN), Local Interconnect Network (LIN), FlexRay, and Media-Oriented System Transmission (MOST) communication networks.

[0133] The EV charging device 970 can detect another vehicle ahead that is configurable for a longitudinal wireless charging chain during driving. The EV charging device 970 can use the vehicle terminal 930 to collect various information about other nearby vehicles via V2X communication, and identify the other vehicle configurable for a longitudinal wireless charging chain based on the collected information. For example, the information collected from the other vehicle may include, but is not limited to, information about the vehicle's current location, vehicle type, whether a longitudinal wireless charging chain is configurable, whether wireless charging is in progress, and battery charging level.

[0134] The EV charging device 970 can calculate the distance to another vehicle in a configurable longitudinal wireless charging chain. As an example, the EV charging device 970 can calculate the distance to another vehicle in operative connection with at least one of an ultrasonic sensor 913 and a lidar 912.

[0135] Based on the calculated distance within a first distance, the EV charging device 970 can perform lateral alignment with another vehicle.

[0136] For example, the EV charging device 970 can classify objects by analyzing the pixels of the image captured by the camera 911, calculate the average lateral position of the pixels corresponding to a specific classified object, and perform lateral steering control by comparing the average lateral position with half of the lateral pixels in the image captured by the camera 911. Here, the specific object could be the license plate of another vehicle, but this is just one implementation. The specific object can be dynamically determined based on the vehicle type of the other vehicle.

[0137] As an example, the EV charging device 970 can be operatively connected to the steering system via an in-vehicle communication network for lateral steering control. Based on an average lateral position greater than half the lateral pixels of the image captured by camera 911, the EV charging device 970 can send a predetermined control command to the steering system, causing the vehicle to move to the right relative to the direction of travel. Based on an average lateral position less than or equal to half the lateral pixels of the image captured by camera 911, the EV charging device 970 can send a predetermined control command to move the vehicle to the left relative to the direction of travel.

[0138] When the distance to another vehicle is within a second distance after lateral steering control is completed, the EV charging unit 970 can perform longitudinal steering control.

[0139] As an example, the EV charging device 970 can perform longitudinal steering control in operative connection with the ultrasonic sensor 913.

[0140] When the distance to another vehicle is within the second distance, the EV charging device 970 can reduce or change the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses and set a short-range detection limit distance corresponding to the reduced number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses.

[0141] The EV charging device 970 can measure the ringing time during longitudinal steering control and perform fine longitudinal alignment based on the measured ringing time until the short-range detection limit distance. When the vehicle reaches the short-range detection limit distance, the EV charging device 970 can output a predetermined notification message indicating that the vehicle alignment for configuring the longitudinal wireless charging chain is complete via the output device 940 and then perform a control operation to stop the vehicle.

[0142] After the vehicle stops, the EV charging device 970 can receive wireless power from another vehicle and charge the battery 920.

[0143] As an example, the EV charging device 970 can change the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses to 1 for longitudinal steering control.

[0144] When there is only road between the area of ​​vehicles ahead and the bottom of the image captured by the camera, the EV charging unit 970 can change the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses to 1 for longitudinal steering control.

[0145] In the above embodiment, it has been described that the driving vehicle classifies objects by analyzing images captured by an SVM camera, and performs lateral alignment with the vehicle in front based on the average lateral position of the license plate of the vehicle in front among the classified objects. However, this is only one embodiment. The object used as a reference for lateral alignment can vary depending on the type of vehicle in front. For example, a specific object used as a reference for lateral alignment could be a trunk key box, vehicle logo, rear tire, trunk, rear bumper, etc.

[0146] The EV charging apparatus described in connection with the embodiments disclosed in this disclosure may include: at least one transceiver configured to send signals to and receive signals from a vehicle display; various ECUs and vehicle terminals connected via an in-vehicle communication network; an external network device connected via an external wired / wireless communication network; an EV charging apparatus for another vehicle; and a user device; at least one processor connected to the at least one transceiver to control overall operation; and a memory on which programs for the operation of the at least one processor are recorded.

[0147] The supply device described in connection with the embodiments disclosed in this disclosure may include: a first transceiver configured to transmit signals to and receive signals from an EV charging device via in-band (or out-of-band) communication; a second transceiver configured to receive power from a power supply network and to and from the power supply network various types of control signals; at least one processor connected to the first and second transceivers to control overall operation; and a memory on which programs for the operation of the at least one processor are recorded.

[0148] The steps in the methods or algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed in this disclosure can be implemented directly in hardware, software modules, or a combination of both, executed by a processor. The software modules can reside in storage media (i.e., memory and / or storage devices) such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disks, removable disks, or CD-ROMs.

[0149] The storage medium can be coupled to the processor, which can read information from and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium can be integrated with the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside within an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC can reside within the user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can reside as separate components within the user terminal.

[0150] The above description is merely an illustration of the technical spirit of this disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to this disclosure without departing from its spirit and scope.

[0151] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative of the technical spirit of this disclosure. The scope of the technical spirit of this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. The scope of this disclosure should be interpreted by the appended claims, and all technical concepts within the scope of the appended claims should be interpreted as being within the scope of this disclosure.

[0152] Cross-references to related applications

[0153] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0166034, filed on November 26, 2021, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain in a first vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: Detect a second vehicle with a configurable longitudinal wireless charging chain; Calculate the distance to the second vehicle; Based on the calculated distance within a first distance, perform lateral alignment with the second vehicle; Based on the calculated distance within the second distance, longitudinal alignment with the second vehicle is performed by reducing the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses to reduce the short-range detection limit distance and measuring the ringing time of the ultrasonic sensor. as well as Based on the calculated distance within the third distance, fine longitudinal alignment with the second vehicle is performed based on the measured ringing time until the short-distance detection limit distance is reached.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The distance to the second vehicle is calculated using either or both of the ultrasonic sensor installed in the first vehicle and optical detection and ranging LiDAR.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The second vehicle is detected via vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of performing the lateral alignment with the second vehicle includes the following steps: Objects are classified by analyzing the pixels of images captured by a camera; Calculate the average lateral position of pixels corresponding to a specific object in the category of the classified objects; and Lateral steering control is performed by comparing the average lateral position with half of the lateral pixels of the image.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The specific object of the classification is the license plate of the second vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The specific object of the classification is dynamically determined based on the vehicle type of the second vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The camera is a surround-view monitoring SVM front camera.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The steps to perform the horizontal alignment include the following: Based on the fact that the average lateral position is greater than 1 / 2 of the lateral pixels in the image, steering control of the first vehicle in the first direction is performed; and Based on the fact that the average lateral position is less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the lateral pixels of the image, the first vehicle is subjected to steering control in a second direction different from the first direction.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The steps for performing the vertical alignment include the following: The short-range detection limit distance is set to correspond to the reduced number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The number of drive pulses for the ultrasonic sensor is reduced to one.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to perform operations for configuring a longitudinal wireless charging chain by a vehicle operatively connected to another vehicle via a communication network, the operations comprising: Detect the other vehicle that can be configured with the longitudinal wireless charging chain; Calculate the distance to the other vehicle; Based on the calculated distance within a first distance, perform lateral alignment with the other vehicle; Based on the calculated distance within the second distance, longitudinal alignment with the other vehicle is performed by reducing the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses to reduce the short-range detection limit distance and measuring the ringing time of the ultrasonic sensor. as well as Based on the calculated distance within the third distance, fine longitudinal alignment with the other vehicle is performed based on the measured ringing time until the short-distance detection limit distance is reached.

12. An electric vehicle configured for wireless charging, the electric vehicle comprising: A vehicle terminal configured to communicate with another vehicle; Vehicle sensors, including cameras, light detection and ranging LiDAR, and ultrasonic sensors; as well as Electric vehicle (EV) charging device, wherein the EV charging device is configured as follows: The other vehicle, which is configurable with a longitudinal wireless charging chain, is detected in connection with the vehicle terminal. Calculate the distance to the other vehicle in operative connection with the vehicle sensor; and Based on the calculated distance, lateral and longitudinal alignment with the other vehicle is performed. The EV charging device is further configured as follows: Based on the calculated distance within a first distance, perform lateral alignment with the other vehicle; Based on the calculated distance within the second distance, longitudinal alignment with the other vehicle is performed by reducing the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses to reduce the short-range detection limit distance and measuring the ringing time of the ultrasonic sensor. as well as Based on the calculated distance within the third distance, fine longitudinal alignment with the other vehicle is performed based on the measured ringing time until the short-distance detection limit distance is reached.

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The first distance is longer than the second distance, and the second distance is longer than the third distance.

14. The electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The distance to the other vehicle is calculated using either or both of the ultrasonic sensor and the LiDAR. The camera includes a front-facing camera for surround-view monitoring of the SVM.

15. The electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The other vehicle was detected via Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication.

16. The electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The EV charging device is also configured to: Objects are classified by analyzing the pixels of the images captured by the camera; Calculate the average lateral position of the pixels corresponding to a specific object in the category of the classified objects; as well as Lateral steering control is performed by comparing the average lateral position with half of the lateral pixels of the image captured by the camera.

17. The electric vehicle according to claim 16, wherein, The specific object of the classification is the license plate of the other vehicle.

18. The electric vehicle according to claim 16, wherein, The specific object of the classification is dynamically determined based on the vehicle type of the other vehicle.

19. The electric vehicle according to claim 16, wherein, The EV charging device is operatively connected to the steering system via an in-vehicle communication network, and The EV charging device is further configured as follows: Based on the fact that the average lateral position is greater than 1 / 2 of the lateral pixels in the image, steering control is performed to move the vehicle relative to the driving direction in a first direction; and Based on the fact that the average lateral position is less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the lateral pixels of the image, steering control is performed to move the vehicle relative to the driving direction in a second direction different from the first direction.

20. The electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The EV charging device is also configured to set a short-range detection limit distance corresponding to the reduced number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses, and The EV charging device reduces the number of ultrasonic sensor drive pulses to one.

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