Vehicle for wireless charging and method thereof

Abstract

A vehicle for wireless charging and a method thereof, an apparatus for wireless charging and a method thereof are provided. The vehicle for wireless charging includes: a wireless power receiver that wirelessly receives power from a wireless power transmitter; a transceiver in communication with the wireless power transmitter; and a controller to control the wireless power receiver; detecting the state of charge of the battery and determining whether wireless charging is needed or not when the vehicle runs; searching or determining an optimal driving speed for wireless charging while the vehicle is driving; and performing wireless charging while the vehicle is traveling at the searched speed or the determined optimal traveling speed.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0125748, filed on September 20, 2023, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0125749, filed on September 20, 2023, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for wireless charging and a method thereof, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for improving efficiency of wireless charging. Background Art

[0004] As electric vehicle technology and autonomous driving technology rapidly develop, it is expected that various occupants (hereinafter referred to as "users") will be able to participate in various activities within the vehicle. For example, a user may be a ready to take over user (FRU) and thus he or she may be able to watch a video or moving image or participate in a video conference while remaining aware of the vehicle's surroundings and being ready to take over driving.

[0005] With the advent of the era of autonomous driving, various sensors are installed in vehicles. For example, cameras, microphone sensors, and heat detection sensors may be installed to check objects in the vehicle.

[0006] It is expected that infrastructure will be introduced to enable wireless charging of autonomous vehicles while driving through various sensors, wireless communication devices, etc.

[0007] In the above environment, since wireless charging is performed while the vehicle is traveling, it is necessary to consider the wireless charging efficiency regarding the specifications and capabilities of the wireless power transmitter, the traveling speed and position of the vehicle, and the like. Summary of the invention

[0008] This Summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle for wireless charging and a method thereof.

[0010] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for improving the wireless charging efficiency of a vehicle traveling on a road.

[0011] The technical subject matter to be solved by the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned technical solutions. It should be pointed out that other technical subjects not described above can be understood by those skilled in the art from the following description of the present disclosure.

[0012] In a general aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle for wireless charging includes: a wireless power receiver configured to wirelessly receive power from a wireless power transmitter; a transceiver configured to communicate with the wireless power transmitter; and a controller configured to: control the wireless power receiver; detect a battery state of charge while driving the vehicle and determine whether wireless charging is required; search for or determine an optimal driving speed for wireless charging while driving the vehicle; and perform wireless charging while driving the vehicle at the searched speed or the determined optimal driving speed.

[0013] The controller may be further configured to determine whether wireless charging is required based additionally on a driving route configured for the vehicle.

[0014] The optimal driving speed may be determined based on at least one of a battery state of charge, a wireless power reception efficiency, or a combination thereof.

[0015] In response to the vehicle not entering the wireless charging road, the controller may be further configured to search for an optimal detour route to the wireless charging road while driving, and set the optimal detour route as the route of the vehicle.

[0016] The controller may be further configured to identify a driving speed range supporting wireless charging while driving based on capability information of the wireless charging transmitter for wireless charging.

[0017] The controller may be further configured to: control the driving of the vehicle by setting an upper limit speed within the identified driving speed range according to the initial driving speed; receive a reference wireless power from the wireless charging transmitter while driving; and measure the wireless power receiving efficiency based on the reference wireless power.

[0018] The controller may be further configured to: measure the wireless charging reception efficiency using a reference wireless power while driving at a driving speed adjusted downward by a predetermined amount until the driving speed reaches a lower limit speed within the identified driving speed range; and perform pairing of the driving speed with information related to the wireless power reception efficiency at the driving speed, and store the paired information.

[0019] The controller may be further configured to: detect a driving speed at which the wireless power receiving efficiency is maximum from the information on the driving speed and the wireless power receiving efficiency; and control the vehicle to perform wireless charging while traveling at the detected driving speed.

[0020] In another general aspect of the present disclosure, a method for wirelessly charging a vehicle includes: detecting a battery state of charge and determining whether wireless charging is required while the vehicle is traveling; searching for or determining an optimal driving speed for wireless charging while the vehicle is traveling; and performing wireless charging while the vehicle is traveling at the searched or determined driving speed.

[0021] The determination of whether wireless charging is required while the vehicle is traveling may be performed based on a driving route configured for the vehicle.

[0022] In another general aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle for wireless charging includes: a wireless power receiver configured to wirelessly receive power from a wireless power transmitter; a transceiver configured to communicate with the wireless power transmitter; and a controller configured to: control a sensor and the wireless power receiver; determine whether the vehicle has entered a wireless charging road supported by the sensor; in response to the vehicle entering the wireless charging road, detect a battery state of charge, and determine whether wireless charging is required based on the detected battery state of charge; and send a charging request for wireless charging to the wireless power transmitter, wherein the charging request includes information related to the wireless power receiver, the battery state of charge, or a combination thereof.

[0023] In yet another general aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for wireless charging includes: a wireless power transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit power to a wireless charging vehicle on a wireless charging road; a transceiver configured to communicate with the wireless charging vehicle; and a controller configured to: control the wireless power transmitter and the transceiver; determine power transmission parameters based on information related to a wireless power receiver of the wireless charging vehicle; obtain information related to a driving speed and a position of the wireless charging vehicle; and determine a wireless power transmission group based on information related to the wireless power receiver of the wireless charging vehicle, the driving speed and the position of the wireless charging vehicle, or a combination thereof, wherein the wireless power transmission group includes at least one wireless power transmitter.

[0024] The controller may be further configured to perform wireless charging based on the wireless power transmission group.

[0025] The controller may be further configured to receive a charging request including information related to the wireless power receiver from the wireless charging vehicle, wherein the information related to the wireless power receiver may include information related to the size and number of the wireless power receiving coils.

[0026] The controller may be further configured to: obtain information related to a battery state of charge of the wireless charging vehicle; and send a charging suggestion message to the wireless charging vehicle in response to the battery state of charge not satisfying a preset reference value.

[0027] The controller may be further configured to: obtain information related to a battery state of charge of the wireless charging vehicle; and activate the determined wireless power transmission group in response to the battery state of charge not satisfying a preset reference value.

[0028] The controller may be further configured to: obtain information related to a battery charge state of the wireless charging vehicle; and stop power transmission of the wireless power transmitter in response to the battery charge state satisfying a preset second reference value.

[0029] The controller may be further configured to: calculate a battery charge amount after stopping power transmission by the wireless power transmitter; and transmit information related to the calculated battery charge amount to the wireless charging vehicle.

[0030] The controller may be further configured to: determine whether the wireless charging vehicle has moved away from the wireless charging road; calculate a battery charge amount in response to the wireless charging vehicle having moved away from the wireless charging road; and transmit information about the calculated battery charge amount to the wireless charging vehicle.

[0031] In yet another general aspect of the present disclosure, a method for wirelessly charging a vehicle includes: determining a power transmission parameter based on information about a wireless power receiver of a wireless charging vehicle on a wireless charging road; obtaining information about a driving speed and a position of the wireless charging vehicle; and determining a wireless power transmission group based on the information about the wireless power receiver or the driving speed and the position of the wireless charging vehicle, wherein the wireless power transmission group includes at least one wireless power transmitter.

[0032] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present disclosure are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the disclosure as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the disclosure.

[0034] Figure 1 is an overall block diagram of an automatic vehicle to which an automatic driving device can be applied.

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing an exemplary vehicle to which an automatic driving device is applied.

[0036] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a system for wireless charging.

[0037] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling wireless charging according to the proposed technology.

[0038] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling wireless charging according to the proposed technology.

[0039] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling wireless charging according to the proposed technology.

[0040] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling wireless charging according to the proposed technology.

[0041] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a system for wireless charging according to the proposed technology.

[0042] Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling wireless charging according to the proposed technology.

[0043] Fig.10 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling wireless charging according to the proposed technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the accompanying drawings, parts not related to the description of the present disclosure are omitted to clearly explain the present disclosure, and throughout this specification, similar reference numerals will be used to refer to similar parts.

[0045] In the present specification, when a part “includes” an element, unless otherwise specified, it means that the part may further include another element rather than excluding the other element.

[0046] Furthermore, in the specification, “rider,” “passenger,” “driver,” “user,” and the like are mentioned for describing the present disclosure, and they may be used interchangeably.

[0047] Figure 1 The present invention is an overall block diagram of an autonomous driving control system applicable to an autonomous driving device according to any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example in which the automatic driving device according to any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure is applied to a vehicle.

[0048] First, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The structure and functions of an autonomous driving control system (eg, an autonomous driving vehicle) to which an autonomous driving device can be applied according to the present embodiment are described.

[0049] like Figure 1As shown, the autonomous driving vehicle 1000 can be realized based on the autonomous driving integrated controller 600 that transmits and receives data required for the autonomous driving control of the vehicle through the driving information input interface 101, the travel information input interface 201, the passenger output interface 301, and the vehicle control output interface 401. However, the autonomous driving integrated controller 600 may also be referred to as a controller, a processor, or simply a controller in this article.

[0050] The automatic driving integrated controller 600 can obtain driving information through the driving information input interface 101 based on the passenger's manipulation of the user input unit 100 in the automatic driving mode or the manual driving mode of the vehicle. Figure 1 As shown, the user input unit 100 may include a driving mode switch 110 and a control panel 120 (eg, a navigation terminal installed on the vehicle or a smart phone or tablet owned by the passenger). Therefore, the driving information may include the driving mode information and navigation information of the vehicle.

[0051] For example, the driving mode of the vehicle determined by the passenger's manipulation of the driving mode switch 110 (i.e., automatic driving mode / manual driving mode or sports mode / energy-saving mode / safety mode / normal mode) can be sent to the automatic driving integrated controller 600 as driving information through the driving information input interface 101.

[0052] In addition, navigation information (such as the passenger's destination entered through the control panel 120 and the route to the destination (for example, the shortest route or preferred route selected by the passenger from candidate routes to the destination)) can be sent to the autonomous driving integrated controller 600 as driving information through the driving information input interface 101.

[0053] The control panel 120 may be implemented as a touch screen panel that provides a user interface (UI) through which an occupant inputs or modifies information for automatic driving control of the vehicle. In this case, the driving mode switch 110 may be implemented as a touch button on the control panel 120 .

[0054] In addition, the automatic driving integrated controller 600 can obtain driving information indicating the driving state of the vehicle through the driving information input interface 201. The driving information may include a steering angle formed when the passenger manipulates the steering wheel, an accelerator pedal stroke or a brake pedal stroke formed when the passenger presses the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal, and various types of information indicating the driving state and behavior of the vehicle, such as vehicle speed, acceleration, yaw, pitch, and roll formed in the vehicle. Figure 1As shown, the driving information can be detected by the driving information detection unit 200, which includes a steering angle sensor 210, an accelerator position sensor (APS) / pedal travel sensor (PTS) 220, a vehicle speed sensor 230, an acceleration sensor 240 and a yaw / pitch / roll sensor 250.

[0055] In addition, the driving information of the vehicle may include the location information of the vehicle. The location information of the vehicle may be obtained through a global positioning system (GPS) receiver 260 applied to the vehicle. Such driving information may be transmitted to the automatic driving integrated controller 600 through the driving information input interface 201 and may be used to control the driving of the vehicle in the automatic driving mode or manual driving mode of the vehicle.

[0056] The automatic driving integrated controller 600 may transmit the driving state information provided to the occupant to the output unit 300 through the occupant output interface 301 in the automatic driving mode or the manual driving mode of the vehicle. That is, the automatic driving integrated controller 600 transmits the driving state information of the vehicle to the output unit 300 so that the occupant can check the automatic driving state or the manual driving state of the vehicle based on the driving state information output through the output unit 300. The driving state information may include various types of information indicating the driving state of the vehicle, such as the current driving mode, the gear range, and the speed of the vehicle.

[0057] If it is determined that it is necessary to warn the driver and the above-mentioned driving state information in the automatic driving mode or the manual driving mode, the automatic driving integrated controller 600 transmits the warning information to the output unit 300 through the passenger output interface 301, so that the output unit 300 can output the warning to the driver. In order to output such driving state information and warning information acoustically and visually, the output unit 300 may include the following: Figure 1 The speaker 310 and the display 320 are shown. In this case, the display 320 may be implemented as the same device as the control panel 120, or may be implemented as an independent device separated from the control panel 120.

[0058] In addition, the automatic driving integrated controller 600 may transmit control information for driving control of the vehicle to the lower control system 400 applied to the vehicle through the vehicle control output interface 401 in the automatic driving mode or the manual driving mode of the vehicle. Figure 1As shown, the lower control system 400 for driving control of the vehicle may include an engine control system 410, a brake control system 420, and a steering control system 430. The automatic driving integrated controller 600 may transmit the engine control information, the brake control information, and the steering control information as control information to the corresponding lower control systems 410, 420, and 430 through the vehicle control output interface 401. Therefore, the engine control system 410 can control the speed and acceleration of the vehicle by increasing or decreasing the fuel supplied to the engine. The brake control system 420 can control the braking of the vehicle by controlling the braking force of the vehicle. The steering control system 430 can control the steering of the vehicle by a steering device (e.g., a motor-driven power steering (MDPS) system) applied to the vehicle.

[0059] As described above, the automatic driving integrated controller 600 according to the present embodiment can obtain driving information based on the driver's manipulation and driving information indicating the driving state of the vehicle through the driving information input interface 101 and the driving information input interface 201, respectively, and transmit the driving state information and warning information generated based on the automatic driving algorithm to the output unit 300 through the passenger output interface 301. In addition, the automatic driving integrated controller 600 can transmit the control information generated based on the automatic driving algorithm to the lower control system 400 through the vehicle control output interface 401, so that the driving control of the vehicle is performed.

[0060] In order to ensure stable automatic driving of the vehicle, it is necessary to continuously monitor the driving state of the vehicle by accurately measuring the driving environment of the vehicle and control the driving based on the measured driving environment. Figure 1 As shown, the autonomous driving device according to the present embodiment may include a sensor unit 500 for detecting nearby objects of the vehicle, such as neighboring vehicles, pedestrians, roads, or fixed facilities (e.g., signal lights, road signs, traffic signs, or building fences).

[0061] The sensor unit 500 may include one or more of a LiDAR sensor 510, a radar sensor 520, or a camera sensor 530 to detect nearby objects outside the vehicle, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0062] The LiDAR sensor 510 may emit a laser signal to the periphery of the vehicle and detect nearby objects outside the vehicle by receiving a signal reflected and returned from a corresponding object. The LiDAR sensor 510 may detect nearby objects within a range of a preset distance, a preset vertical field of view, and a preset horizontal field of view, and the range of the preset distance, the preset vertical field of view, and the preset horizontal field of view are predefined according to the specifications of the sensor. The LiDAR sensor 510 may include a front LiDAR sensor 511, a top LiDAR sensor 512, and a rear LiDAR sensor 513 installed on the front side, the top side, and the rear side of the vehicle, respectively, but the installation position of each LiDAR sensor and the number of installed LiDAR sensors are not limited to a specific embodiment. The threshold for determining the validity of the laser signal reflected and returned from the corresponding object may be pre-stored in a memory (not shown) of the autonomous driving integrated controller 600. The autonomous driving integrated controller 600 may determine the position (including the distance to the corresponding object), speed, and moving direction of the corresponding object using a method of measuring the time taken for the laser signal emitted from the LiDAR sensor 510 to reflect and return from the corresponding object.

[0063] The radar sensor 520 may radiate electromagnetic waves around the vehicle and detect nearby objects outside the vehicle by receiving signals reflected and returned from the corresponding objects. The radar sensor 520 may detect nearby objects within the range of a preset distance, a preset vertical field of view, and a preset horizontal field of view, and the range of the preset distance, the preset vertical field of view, and the preset horizontal field of view are predefined according to their specifications. The radar sensor 520 may include a front radar sensor 521, a left radar sensor 522, a right radar sensor 523, and a rear radar sensor 524 installed on the front, left, right, and rear sides of the vehicle, respectively, but the installation position of each radar sensor and the number of installed radar sensors are not limited to a specific embodiment. The automatic driving integrated controller 600 may determine the position (including the distance to the corresponding object), speed, and moving direction of the corresponding object using a method of analyzing the power of electromagnetic waves sent and received by the radar sensor 520.

[0064] The camera sensor 530 can detect nearby objects outside the vehicle by photographing the periphery of the vehicle, and detect nearby objects within a range of a preset distance, a preset vertical field of view, and a preset horizontal field of view, and the range of the preset distance, the preset vertical field of view, and the preset horizontal field of view are pre-defined according to the specifications of the sensor.

[0065] The camera sensor 530 may include a front camera sensor 531, a left camera sensor 532, a right camera sensor 533, and a rear camera sensor 534 installed at the front, left, right, and rear of the vehicle, respectively, but the installation position of each camera sensor and the number of installed camera sensors are not limited to a specific embodiment. The autonomous driving integrated controller 600 may determine the position (including the distance to the corresponding object), speed, and moving direction of the corresponding object by applying predetermined image processing to the image captured by the camera sensor 530.

[0066] In addition, an interior camera sensor 535 for capturing the interior of the vehicle may be installed at a predetermined position (e.g., a rearview mirror) in the vehicle. The autonomous driving integrated controller 600 may monitor the behavior and state of the occupant based on the image captured by the interior camera sensor 535, and output guidance or warnings to the occupant through the output unit 300.

[0067] like Figure 1 As shown, the sensor unit 500 may further include an ultrasonic sensor 540 in addition to the LiDAR sensor 510, the radar sensor 520, and the camera sensor 530, and also employ various types of sensors together with these sensors to detect nearby objects of the vehicle.

[0068] Figure 2 An example is shown in which, in order to help understand the present embodiment, a front LiDAR sensor 511 or a front radar sensor 521 is installed in front of the vehicle, a rear LiDAR sensor 513 or a rear radar sensor 524 is installed in the rear of the vehicle, and a front camera sensor 531, a left camera sensor 532, a right camera sensor 533, and a rear camera sensor 534 are installed at the front side, the left side, the right side, and the rear side of the vehicle, respectively. However, as described above, the installation position of each sensor and the number of installed sensors are not limited to a specific embodiment.

[0069] In addition, in order to determine the state of the occupant in the vehicle, the sensor unit 500 may further include a biosensor for detecting biosignals of the occupant (e.g., heart rate, electrocardiogram, respiration, blood pressure, body temperature, electroencephalogram, photoplethysmography (or pulse wave), and blood sugar). The biosensor may include a heart rate sensor, an electrocardiogram sensor, a respiration sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a body temperature sensor, an electroencephalogram sensor, a photoplethysmography sensor, and a blood sugar sensor.

[0070] Finally, the sensor unit 500 further comprises a microphone 550 having an internal microphone 551 and an external microphone 552 which are used for different purposes.

[0071] The internal microphone 551 may be used, for example, to analyze the voice of an occupant in the autonomous vehicle 1000 based on AI or to immediately respond to the occupant's direct voice commands.

[0072] In contrast, for example, the external microphone 552 may be used to appropriately respond to safe driving by analyzing various sounds generated from outside the autonomous driving vehicle 1000 using various analysis tools such as deep learning.

[0073] For reference, in Figure 2 The symbols shown in Figure 1 The symbols shown in FIG. 1 have the same or similar functions as those shown in FIG. Figure 2 In more detail, the Figure 1 The relative positional relationship of each component compared (based on the interior of the autonomous driving vehicle 1000).

[0074] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a system for wireless charging during vehicle driving.

[0075] refer to Figure 3 , the system may include a vehicle 1000 including a rechargeable battery 800, a wireless charger 900 located under a road (RD), a wireless charging management server 1100, and a power grid 1200. Wireless charging refers to wirelessly charging the battery (800) of the vehicle. However, in the description provided later, this will be referred to as (wirelessly) charging the vehicle or the vehicle performing (wireless) charging. This term or expression will be used and interpreted to include wireless charging of the battery of the vehicle.

[0076] The wireless transmission coil (or wireless power transmitter) 910 of the wireless charger 900 may be buried under the road (RD). Therefore, the vehicle 1000 may perform wireless charging (RD) while traveling on the road.

[0077] The wireless charger 900 may include a power supply unit 920 for supplying power to the wireless transmission coil 910 , a controller 930 for controlling the power supply unit, and a power measurement unit 940 for power measurement.

[0078] The wireless charging management server 1100 may manage the wireless charger 900 , and may control the start and termination of wireless charging of the vehicle 1000 .

[0079] The grid 1200 refers to a power system, for example, a power transmission system, a power distribution system, and a power generation system capable of supplying power to the wireless charger 900 .

[0080] Figure 4 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling wireless charging of a vehicle according to the proposed technology. Figure 4The operation of the flowchart may be performed by the wireless charging management server 1100 or a component (e.g., a controller, a processor, etc.) of the wireless charging management server 1100, but is not limited thereto. In addition to the battery 800, the vehicle 1000 may further include vehicle sensors 210 to 260. The vehicle sensor may include a positioning sensor 260 such as a GPS receiver and a speed sensor 230 for sensing a driving speed.

[0081] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may include: a transceiver for sending and receiving messages to and from the wireless charging management server 1100, the power grid 1200, or the wireless charger 900; and a controller for controlling the transceiver.

[0082] In addition, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may include a wireless power receiver that receives wireless power from the wireless power transmitter.

[0083] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may check whether the vehicle 1000 has entered a wireless charging road (S410). A "wireless charging road" refers to a road where at least some wireless chargers (900) are buried under the road, such as Figure 3 As shown in , it allows the vehicle's rechargeable battery to be wirelessly charged while driving on the road.

[0084] When the vehicle 1000 enters the wireless charging road, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may detect the battery charge state. The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may determine whether wireless charging is required during driving based on the battery charge state (S420).

[0085] When wireless charging is required, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 and the wireless power transmitter 900 may perform a preparation procedure for a series of wireless charging actions.

[0086] Then, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may switch to the wireless charging mode while traveling, and may perform wireless charging ( S430 ).

[0087] Figure 5 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling wireless charging of a vehicle according to the proposed technology. Figure 5 The operations of the flowchart may be performed by the wireless charging vehicle 1000 or components (eg, a controller, a processor, etc.) of the wireless charging vehicle 1000 , but are not limited thereto.

[0088] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may check whether the vehicle 1000 has entered a road where wireless charging is possible ( S510 ).

[0089] When the wireless charging vehicle 1000 enters the wireless charging road, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may detect the battery charge state. The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may determine whether wireless charging is required while traveling based on the battery charge state (S520).

[0090] Furthermore, when a driving route to a destination is set in advance, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may additionally determine whether wireless charging is required while driving based on the expected driving route.

[0091] When wireless charging is required, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may search for or determine an optimal driving speed for wireless charging while driving ( S530 ).

[0092] Meanwhile, the optimal charging speed (or efficiency) may vary depending on the battery state of charge (remaining battery capacity). Therefore, the optimal driving speed may be determined based on at least one of the battery state of charge or the wireless power receiving efficiency.

[0093] When wireless charging is required, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 and the wireless power transmitter 900 may perform a preparation procedure for a series of wireless charging actions.

[0094] Then, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may perform wireless charging while searching for the determined driving speed or traveling at the determined driving speed ( S540 ).

[0095] Figure 6 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling wireless charging of a vehicle according to the proposed technology. Figure 6 The operations of the flowchart may be performed by the wireless charging vehicle 1000 or components (eg, a controller, a processor, etc.) of the wireless charging vehicle 1000 , but are not limited thereto.

[0096] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may detect the battery charge state. The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may determine whether wireless charging is required while driving based on the battery charge state (S610).

[0097] Furthermore, when determining whether wireless charging is required during traveling, if there is a traveling route configured for the wireless charging vehicle 1000 , traveling route information may be additionally used.

[0098] According to the determination that wireless charging is required while traveling, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may check whether a road on which the wireless charging vehicle 100 is traveling is a wireless charging road ( S620 ).

[0099] If the road on which the vehicle 100 travels corresponds to a wireless charging road, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may switch to a wireless charging mode while traveling and may perform wireless charging of a battery ( S630 ).

[0100] If the road on which the vehicle is traveling does not correspond to the wireless charging road, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may search for the best detour route of the wireless charging road while traveling, and may set the best detour route as the driving route (S640). Then, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may travel along the corresponding driving route and enter the wireless charging road. Therefore, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may switch to the wireless charging mode (S620) while traveling according to the determination (S620) that the road on which the vehicle 1000 is traveling is the wireless charging road, and may perform wireless charging.

[0101] Figure 7 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling wireless charging of a vehicle according to the proposed technology. Figure 7 The operations of the flowchart may be performed by the wireless charging vehicle 1000 or components (eg, a controller, a processor, etc.) of the wireless charging vehicle 1000 , but are not limited thereto. Figure 7 Shows Figures 4 to 6 The wireless charging vehicle 1000 switches to the wireless charging mode while traveling or performs a wireless charging process in the wireless charging mode.

[0102] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may establish wireless communication with a wireless power transmitter of a wireless charger ( S710 ).

[0103] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may receive information about the capability of the wireless power transmitter from the wireless charger or the wireless power transmitter of the wireless charger through the established wireless communication (S720). The capability information of the wireless power transmitter may include information about the number of coils, coil size, capacity (maximum output), etc. of the wireless power transmitter.

[0104] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may determine a driving speed range in which wireless charging is possible while driving based on the capability information of the wireless power transmitter ( S730 ).

[0105] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may travel by setting the upper speed limit within the identified driving speed range as an initial driving speed, and may receive a reference wireless power from the wireless charger while traveling ( S740 ).

[0106] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may measure the wireless power reception efficiency using the received reference wireless power ( S750 ).

[0107] Meanwhile, if the wireless power receiving efficiency measured in the step of measuring the wireless power receiving efficiency exceeds a predetermined reference value, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may determine the current driving speed as an optimal driving speed for charging while driving ( S780 ).

[0108] In this case, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 has an advantage in that the vehicle can perform wireless charging while traveling at the maximum traveling speed at which wireless power reception efficiency can be satisfied, without searching for wireless charging efficiency for all traveling speed ranges in which traveling wireless charging is possible.

[0109] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may pair the measured wireless power receiving efficiency with the current driving speed information and may store the paired information (S760). That is, the driving speed and the wireless power receiving efficiency at the driving speed may be paired and stored as a pair.

[0110] Then, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may determine whether the current driving speed has reached a lower limit speed within the identified driving speed range ( S770 ).

[0111] When the current driving speed has not reached the lower limit speed within the identified driving speed range, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may adjust the driving speed downward by a speed corresponding to a predetermined step length, and travel at the adjusted driving speed (S775). Then, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may measure the wireless power receiving efficiency again (S750). According to this recursive or iterative process, the wireless charging vehicle may measure the wireless power receiving efficiency (S750) at predetermined step length intervals from the highest driving speed (upper limit speed) to the lowest speed (lower limit speed) within the identified driving speed range. Therefore, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may store a plurality of information groups, each of which includes a driving speed and a wireless power receiving efficiency.

[0112] When the current driving speed has reached the lower limit speed within the identified driving speed range, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may determine a driving speed that can obtain the maximum wireless power receiving efficiency from the stored paired information set of the driving speed and the wireless power receiving efficiency ( S780 ).

[0113] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may travel at a travel speed at which maximum wireless power reception efficiency can be obtained, and may perform wireless charging while traveling.

[0114] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a system according to the proposed technology.

[0115] refer to Figure 8 , the vehicle 1000 may further include a vehicle sensor 200 and a wireless power receiver 810 in addition to the battery 800. As described above, the vehicle sensor 200 may include a positioning sensor 260 such as a GPS receiver and a speed sensor 230 for sensing a driving speed.

[0116] The wireless power receiver 810 may include a receiver control communication unit 811 and a power receiving module 812. The receiver control communication unit 811 may include a controller for controlling the wireless power receiver 810 or components of the wireless power receiver 810, and a transceiver.

[0117] Each of the wireless power transmitters (910-1, 910-2, ..., 910-N) may include a power transmission module 911 and a transmitter control communication unit 912. The transmitter control communication unit 912 may include: a controller for controlling the wireless power transmitter 910 or components of the wireless power transmitter; and a transceiver.

[0118] Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling wireless charging of a vehicle according to the proposed technology. Fig. 9 The operations of the flowchart may be performed by the wireless charging vehicle 1000 or components (eg, a controller, a processor, etc.) of the wireless charging vehicle 1000 , but are not limited thereto.

[0119] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may include: a transceiver for sending and receiving messages to and from the wireless charging management server 1100, the power grid 1200, or the wireless charger 900; and a controller for controlling the transceiver. In addition, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may include a wireless power receiver for receiving wireless power from the wireless power transmitter.

[0120] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may check whether the vehicle 1000 has entered a road where wireless charging is possible ( S910 ).

[0121] When the vehicle 1000 enters the wireless charging road, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may detect the battery charge state. The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may determine whether wireless charging is required during driving based on the battery charge state (S920).

[0122] When wireless charging is required, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may transmit a charging request message to the wireless power transmitter ( S930 ).

[0123] Upon receiving the charging request message, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 and the wireless power transmitter 900 may perform a preparation procedure for a series of wireless charging actions.

[0124] Then, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may perform wireless charging ( S940 ).

[0125] The wireless charging vehicle 1000 may detect the battery status and thus check whether the battery charging is completed ( S950 ).

[0126] If the battery charging is not completed, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may check whether the vehicle 1000 has deviated from the wireless charging road (S955). If the vehicle 1000 deviates from the wireless charging road, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may calculate the battery charge amount and transmit information about the calculated battery charge amount to the wireless power transmitter (S970).

[0127] When the battery charging is completed, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may transmit a charging completion message to the wireless power transmitter (S960).

[0128] Then, the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may calculate the battery charge amount and transmit information about the calculated battery charge amount to the wireless power transmitter ( S970 ).

[0129] Fig.10 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling wireless charging according to the proposed technology. Fig.10 The operations of the flowchart may be performed by the wireless charging apparatus 900 or components (eg, a controller, a processor, etc.) of the wireless charging apparatus 900 , but are not limited thereto. The wireless charging management server 1100 may be integrated with the wireless charger 900 .

[0130] The wireless charging vehicle 900 may include: a transceiver for sending and receiving messages to and from the wireless charging management server 1100, the power grid 1200, or the vehicle 1000; and a controller for controlling the transceiver. In addition, the wireless charger 900 may include a wireless power transmitter for supplying wireless power to the wireless charging vehicle on a wireless charging road.

[0131] The wireless charger 900 may check whether a charging request message has been received from the wireless charging vehicle 1000 ( S1010 ).

[0132] The charging request message may include information about the wireless power receiver. The information about the wireless power receiver may include information about the size and number of wireless power receiving coils.

[0133] In addition, the transmission of the charging request message may be triggered by a charging suggestion message from the wireless charger 900. When the vehicle 1000 enters the wireless charging road, the wireless charger 900 may obtain information about the battery charge state of the wireless charging vehicle 1000. If the obtained battery charge state does not meet a preset reference (e.g., 30% or more of the total battery capacity), the wireless charger 900 may send a charging suggestion message to the wireless charging vehicle 1000.

[0134] The wireless charger 900 may determine a power transmission parameter based on information about the wireless power receiver of the wireless charging vehicle (S1020). The power transmission parameter may include a resonant frequency, an amplitude, etc. of a power signal.

[0135] In addition, the wireless charger 900 may obtain information about the wireless charging vehicle 1000 ( S1030 ). The information about the wireless charging vehicle 1000 may include a travel speed and a position of the vehicle 1000 .

[0136] The wireless charger 900 may determine a wireless power transmission group based on the wireless power receiver information or the information about the wireless charging vehicle (S1040). The wireless power transmission group may include at least one wireless power transmitter and may include consecutive wireless power transmitters, similar to Figure 3 As described above, the wireless power transmission group is intended to improve the wireless charging efficiency, but its use or purpose is not limited thereto.

[0137] Thereafter, in addition, if the battery state of charge of the wireless charging vehicle 1000 does not satisfy a preset reference (eg, 30% or more of the total battery capacity), the wireless charger 900 may activate the determined wireless power transmission group.

[0138] The wireless charger 900 may perform wireless charging using the determined wireless power transmission group ( S1050 ), which means that the wireless charger 900 transmits wireless power to the wireless charging vehicle 1000 .

[0139] The wireless charger 900 may check whether the battery state of the wireless charging vehicle 1000 satisfies a preset second reference (eg, 90% or more of the total battery capacity) (S1060). This means checking whether the battery charging of the wireless charging vehicle 1000 is completed.

[0140] If the battery charging is not completed, the wireless charger 900 may check whether the vehicle 1000 deviates from the wireless charging road (S1065). If the vehicle 1000 deviates from the wireless charging road, the wireless charger 900 may calculate the battery charging amount and transmit information about the calculated battery charging amount to the wireless charging vehicle 1000 (S1080).

[0141] When the battery charging is completed, the wireless charger 900 may terminate the wireless charging (S1070). In this case, the wireless charger 900 may send a charging completion message to the wireless charging vehicle 1000.

[0142] Then, the wireless charger 900 may calculate the battery charging amount and transmit information on the calculated battery charging amount to the wireless charging vehicle 1000 ( S1080 ).

[0143] Although the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure have disclosed an apparatus (or device) for controlling a user interface (UI) and components included therein to perform such control for the convenience of description, the apparatus (or device) and components belonging thereto are merely names, and the scope of authority does not depend thereon.

[0144] In other words, the proposed technology of the present disclosure can be performed by a device with a name other than a control device. In addition, the above methods, schemes, etc. can be performed by software or codes readable by a computer or other machine or device for vehicle control.

[0145] In addition, as another aspect of the present disclosure, the operation of the technology proposed above may be provided as a code that can be implemented, realized, or executed by a "computer" (including the general concept of a system on a chip (SoC) or a (micro)processor) storing or containing the code, or a computer-readable storage medium, a computer program product, etc. The scope of the present disclosure may extend to the code or a computer-readable storage medium or a computer program product storing or containing the code.

[0146] The detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed above has been provided so that those skilled in the art can implement and realize the present disclosure.

[0147] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made to the present disclosure as set forth in the following claims.

[0148] Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0149] As is apparent from the above description, the method and apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure have the following effects.

[0150] The embodiments of the present disclosure may appropriately control or manage wireless charging efficiency or wireless power receiving efficiency according to driving information or a driving environment.

[0151] The embodiments of the present disclosure may determine a driving speed of a vehicle at which wireless charging efficiency or wireless power receiving efficiency is sufficient.

[0152] In addition, the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is able to perform wireless charging at a driving speed that ensures a certain level of wireless power receiving efficiency without searching for wireless charging efficiency or wireless power receiving efficiency in all driving speed ranges where the vehicle may be wirelessly charged during driving of the vehicle.

[0153] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to cover modifications and variations of the present disclosure as long as these modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A vehicle for wireless charging, comprising: a wireless power receiver configured to wirelessly receive power from the wireless power transmitter; a transceiver configured to communicate with the wireless power transmitter; as well as A controller, the controller being configured to: controlling the wireless power receiver; detecting a battery state of charge while the vehicle is traveling and determining whether wireless charging is required; searching or determining an optimal driving speed for wireless charging while the vehicle is in motion; as well as Wireless charging is performed while the vehicle is traveling at the searched speed or the determined optimal traveling speed.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to: Whether wireless charging is required is also determined based on a driving route configured for the vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The optimal driving speed is determined based on at least one of the battery state of charge, the wireless power receiving efficiency, or a combination thereof.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: In response to the vehicle not entering the wireless charging road, the controller is further configured to search for an optimal detour route to the wireless charging road while traveling, and set the optimal detour route as a route of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to: Based on the capability information of the wireless charging transmitter for wireless charging, a driving speed range supporting wireless charging while driving is identified.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein: The controller is further configured to: controlling the travel of the vehicle by setting an upper speed limit within the identified travel speed range according to the initial travel speed; receiving a reference wireless power from the wireless charging transmitter while driving; as well as The wireless power receiving efficiency is measured based on the reference wireless power.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: The controller is further configured to: measuring a wireless charging reception efficiency using the reference wireless power while traveling at a traveling speed that adjusts the traveling speed downward by a predetermined amount until the traveling speed reaches a lower limit speed within the identified traveling speed range; as well as Pairing of the travel speed and information on the wireless power reception efficiency at the travel speed is performed, and the paired information is stored.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: The controller is further configured to: detecting, from the information related to the traveling speed and the wireless power receiving efficiency, a traveling speed at which the wireless power receiving efficiency is maximum; as well as The vehicle is controlled to perform wireless charging while traveling at the detected traveling speed.

9. A device for wireless charging, comprising: a wireless power transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit power to a wireless charging vehicle on a wireless charging road; a transceiver configured to communicate with the wireless charging vehicle; as well as A controller, the controller being configured to: controlling the wireless power transmitter and the transceiver; determining a power transfer parameter based on information related to a wireless power receiver of the wireless charging vehicle; Obtaining information related to the speed and position of the wireless charging vehicle; as well as determining a wireless power transmission group based on information about the wireless power receiver of the wireless charging vehicle, information about the driving speed and position of the wireless charging vehicle, or a combination thereof, Wherein, the wireless power transmission group includes at least one wireless power transmitter.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein: The controller is further configured to: Wireless charging is performed based on the wireless power transmission group.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein: The controller is further configured to: receiving a charging request including information related to the wireless power receiver from the wireless charging vehicle, The information related to the wireless power receiver includes information related to the size and number of the wireless power receiving coils.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein: The controller is further configured to: obtaining information related to a battery state of charge of the wireless charging vehicle; and In response to the battery state of charge not satisfying a preset reference value, a charging suggestion message is sent to the wireless charging vehicle.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: The controller is further configured to: obtaining information related to a battery state of charge of the wireless charging vehicle; and In response to the battery state of charge not satisfying a preset reference value, activating the determined wireless power transmission group.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: The controller is further configured to: Obtaining information related to a battery state of charge of the wireless charging vehicle; In response to the battery state of charge satisfying a preset second reference value, power transmission of the wireless power transmitter is stopped.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein: The controller is further configured to: calculating a battery charge amount after stopping power transmission by the wireless power transmitter; and Information related to the calculated battery charge amount is transmitted to the wireless charging vehicle.

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