Electric Road Segment Activation for Safe Vehicle Power Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric road systems face challenges in ensuring electrical safety, particularly in urban areas, and in accurately billing users for electricity usage.

Innovation Solution

The method involves a base station receiving identification data from vehicles, associating it with activation keys, and transmitting these keys to segments of the electric road system. Upon vehicle approach, the segment confirms the identification key and activates power delivery, ensuring secure and individualized power usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If inductive power transfer is implemented in electric road systems, then power delivery to moving vehicles is enabled, but electrical safety risks increase due to potential unauthorized access

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower delivery capabilityVSAvoidelectrical safety
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authorization checks before enabling power transfer. The base station receives identification data from the vehicle, verifies authorization status, and only then activates the segment for power delivery. This preliminary verification ensures that only authorized vehicles receive power, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining efficient power transfer capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Use of energy by moving object

If continuous power delivery is provided to all segments, then vehicle power needs are met, but energy waste increases due to unnecessary power supply

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle power supplyVSAvoidenergy waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The electric road system is divided into multiple segments along the track line. Each segment can be independently activated or deactivated based on the presence and authorization of vehicles. This segmentation allows the system to provide power only to specific locations where vehicles are present and authorized, rather than continuously powering all segments, thereby significantly reducing energy waste while ensuring vehicles receive adequate power.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system activates segments periodically based on vehicle presence detection and authorization verification. Instead of continuous power delivery to all segments, the base station monitors for vehicles, verifies authorization, and activates segments only when needed. This periodic activation pattern reduces energy consumption while maintaining reliable power supply to authorized vehicles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Measurement precision

If individual vehicle billing is implemented, then accurate power consumption tracking is achieved, but system complexity increases due to monitoring and recording requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumption tracking accuracyVSAvoidbilling system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The base station performs multiple functions including identification data reception, authorization verification, segment activation control, and power consumption monitoring. By consolidating these functions in a single centralized unit, the system achieves accurate individual vehicle billing and tracking without requiring complex distributed monitoring infrastructure. The base station serves as a multi-functional hub that simplifies the overall system architecture while enabling precise measurement and recording of each vehicle's power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4129754B1Method and electric road system for enabling electrical power delivery to vehicles during travel
Publication Date: 2025.01.29 ELONROAD AB
  • EP4129754B1 patent drawingFigure 1~5
  • EP4129754B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP4129754B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for enabling electrical power delivery to vehicles during travel, the method comprising: receiving, at a base station, identification data transmitted from a vehicle, the identification data identifying the vehicle; associating an activation key with the identification data with each other; transmitting the activation key from the base station to a segment of a plurality of segments consecutively arranged along a single track line to provide alternating potentials, wherein every second of the plurality of segments, including the segment, belong to a first set of segments to be powered, and wherein other segments form a second set of non-powered segments; receiving, at the segment and via short range radio communication, an activation request sent from the vehicle, wherein the activation request comprises an identification key associated with the identification data; confirming, at the segment, that the received identification key is associated with the received activation key; and upon positive confirmation, activating the segment for enabling power delivery to the vehicle; and powering the segment and creating a voltage difference between the powered segment and the non-powered segments to provide alternating potentials.