Non-Contact Charging Station Vehicle Position Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing non-contact electric power transmission systems face challenges in determining whether a vehicle has completed charging and is occupying a charging station, leading to inefficiencies in guiding new vehicles to available charging ports without increasing installation costs through the use of additional sensors.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a control unit that differentiates weak electric power characteristics for each charging port, allowing vehicles to transmit occupation signals based on received power characteristics, enabling the charging station to guide new vehicles to empty ports while avoiding occupied ones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors are provided for each parking frame to check vehicle positions, then the charging station can determine occupied and available charging ports, but the installation cost and construction effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the electric power transmission portions serve multiple functions: they not only transmit electric power to vehicles but also detect vehicle presence and occupation status by monitoring whether vehicles are receiving power. This eliminates the need for separate sensors at each parking frame, resolving the contradiction between detection reliability and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing power transmission infrastructure to automatically detect vehicle occupation status without requiring additional detection devices. The electric power transmission portions themselves perform the detection function by monitoring power reception status, making the system self-sufficient and avoiding increased installation complexity
2Device complexity
If the charging station uses a single control unit to control multiple electric power transmission portions, then the system structure is simplified, but the charging station cannot determine which transmission portions are occupied by vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the single control unit receives status information from each electric power transmission portion about whether a vehicle is present and receiving power. This feedback allows the control unit to identify occupied transmission portions and guide new vehicles to available ones, maintaining simplified structure while preventing information loss about occupation status
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows the charging station to efficiently guide new vehicles to available charging ports, reducing the need for additional sensors and enhancing system efficiency by utilizing existing power transmission infrastructure.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of electric power transmission portions (700A, 700B) which can transmit electric power to the vehicles (10A, 10B) in a non-contact manner
Implementation Method 2
when the second vehicle (10B) receives weak electric power from the first electric power transmission portion (700B)
Data Source
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AI summary
A charging station includes a plurality of electric power transmission portions (700A, 700B) and a power supply ECU (800). When a second vehicle (10B) is parked at a position where it can receive electric power from a first electric power transmission portion (700B) and when the second vehicle (10B) receives weak electric power from the first electric power transmission portion (700B), the second vehicle (10B) transmits to the power supply ECU (800), an occupation signal which allows determination that the parking position corresponds to the first electric power transmission portion (700B). When the power supply ECU (800) receives the occupation signal of the first electric power transmission portion (700B) from the second vehicle (10B), the power supply ECU (800) stops transmission of weak electric power from the first electric power transmission portion (700B) and guides a first vehicle (10A) to a second electric power transmission portion (700A).