CN-122003623-A - Foreign matter detection, living matter detection and alignment based on magnetic induction tomography

Abstract

An object detection system for a wireless electric vehicle charging system is configured to generate a computationally generated profile and/or detect the possible presence and/or determine the identity and/or characteristics of a foreign object (e.g., metal) and/or living being using magnetic induction tomography at a frequency spectrally spaced apart from the operating frequency of the charging system and/or at a frequency from about 1 MHz to about 10 MHz.

Inventors

• Dorian Vargas Raleigh
• Manucechel Soleimani
• Jiawen Ding Li

Assignees

• 凯柏科技有限公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20240902

Priority Date

20230831

Claims (20)

1. 1. An object detection system for a wireless electric vehicle charging system for generating data for foreign objects and/or living matter using magnetic induction tomography at a frequency spectrally spaced apart from an operating frequency of the charging system and/or at a frequency from about 1 MHz to about 10 MHz.
2. 2. The object detection system of claim 1, wherein the object detection system is configured to operate at about 1 MHz to about 5 MHz.
3. 3. Object detection system according to claim 1 or 2, configured to use such data to generate computationally generated profiles and/or to detect possible presence and/or to determine identity and/or characteristics of metals and/or living beings in a magnetic field transmission region and/or to generate operational instructions.
4. 4. An object detection system according to any preceding claim, comprising: a probe for detecting the region or space, and A processor configured to: (i) Receiving input from the probe, and (Ii) The data is generated based on the input.
5. 5. The object detection system of claim 4, wherein the processor comprises a filter configured to remove frequency components corresponding to an operating frequency of the charging system and optional higher harmonics thereof from an input signal.
6. 6. The object detection system of claim 4 or 5, wherein the processor is configured to modify an operating frequency of the object detection system to reduce interference from a magnetic field of the charging system, wherein the modified operating frequency is spectrally spaced apart from the operating frequency of the charging system and/or from about 1 MHz to about 10 MHz.
7. 7. The object detection system of any one of claims 4-6, wherein the probe is stationary relative to a ground assembly comprising a magnetic field transmitter or a vehicle assembly comprising a magnetic field receiver.
8. 8. An object detection system according to any of claims 4-7, further comprising an analyzer for determining whether an object and/or identity and/or characteristics of an object and/or operational instructions are present in the area based on processing of the data.
9. 9. The object detection system of claim 8, wherein the analyzer comprises a machine learning model configured to receive the data at an input layer and process the data to determine whether an object and/or identity and/or characteristics of an object and/or operational instructions are present in the region based on processing the data.
10. 10. The object detection system of claim 8 further comprising an imager, wherein the imager is configured to receive data from the processor and to generate an image of the region from the data, wherein the computationally generated profile is the image, wherein the imager is configured to generate the image using magnetic induction tomography, and wherein the analyzer is configured to analyze the image to determine whether an object and/or identity and/or characteristics of an object and/or operating instructions are present in the region.
11. 11. The object detection system of claim 10, wherein the analyzer is configured to analyze the image using an artificial intelligence algorithm.
12. 12. The object detection system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the object detection system additionally comprises a computational modeler configured to receive data from the processor and to evaluate electromagnetic properties of objects present in the imaging region from the data.
13. 13. The object detection system according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a power manager configured to manage the supply of power to a wireless power transfer coil of the wireless electric vehicle charging system depending on whether an object is determined to be present in the imaging area and/or depending on an identity and/or a characteristic of the object.
14. 14. The object detection system of claim 13, wherein the power manager is configured to manage the power supply by reducing the power supply while continuing to supply charging power and/or by focusing or localizing the power supply to modify the power supply.
15. 15. An object detection system according to any preceding claim wherein the object detection system is configured to generate a computationally generated profile and/or detect the possible presence and/or determine the identity and/or characteristics of an object while the charging system is performing charging.
16. 16. The object detection system of claim 15, wherein the charging system operates below 500 kHz.
17. 17. A charging system comprising an object detection system according to any one of the preceding claims.
18. 18. An electric vehicle comprising the object detection system according to any one of claims 1-16.
19. 19. A method for generating data for foreign objects or living beings in a magnetic field transmission region of a wireless electric vehicle charging system includes using magnetic induction tomography at a frequency spectrally spaced apart from an operating frequency of the charging system and/or at a frequency from about 1 MHz to about 10 MHz.
20. 20. A method of modifying a power supply of a wireless power transfer coil of a wireless electric vehicle charging system, the method comprising: Determining whether an object is present and/or about the characteristics and/or identity of the object or generating a profile of the object using magnetic induction tomography in a magnetic field transmission region of the cordless electric vehicle charging system, and The power supply is modified and/or changed appropriately according to the determination or the profile.

Description

Foreign matter detection, living matter detection and alignment based on magnetic induction tomography Introduction to the invention The present invention relates to an object detection system, particularly but not exclusively for use in a wireless electric vehicle charging system, wherein the object detection system uses magnetic induction tomography. In particular, the present invention relates to a foreign object detection (foreign object detection, "FOD"), living matter detection (living object detection, "LOD") and/or alignment detection system for a wireless electric vehicle charging system. In certain embodiments, the present invention also relates to methods of using an object detection system of a wireless electric vehicle charging system, and wireless electric vehicle charging systems including the object detection system are used in such methods. The invention also relates to a ferrite assembly (FERRIMAGNETIC RECEPTACLE) and a ferrimagnetic receptacle for a wireless electric vehicle charging system, and an electric vehicle including such an object detection system. Background FOD, LOD and alignment systems for wireless electric vehicle charging systems (WIRELESS ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING SYSTEM) are known in the art. Indeed, industry standards IEC 61980, IEC 61980-3, ISO 19363, and SAE J2954 require that wireless electric vehicle charging systems include such systems. It should be appreciated that at least the SAE standard also refers to living matter detection ("LOD") as living matter protection (living object protection, "LOP"). However, the term "living being detection" is used to refer to both LOD and LOP. In a typical cordless electric vehicle charging system, an electric vehicle including a vehicle component is parked above (or in close proximity to) a ground component of the cordless electric vehicle charging system. The power provided in the form of alternating current is supplied to a wireless power transfer (wireless power transfer, "WPT") coil of the ground assembly, and then a magnetic field is induced around the WPT coil, which in turn induces alternating current in a corresponding WPT coil of the vehicle assembly. The current is then used to charge a battery of the electric vehicle. In such systems, there is typically an air gap (air gap) across which power is transmitted via a magnetic field. Accordingly, industry standards require that wireless electric vehicle charging systems include object detection systems to detect the presence of Foreign Objects (FODs) and/or Living Objects (LODs) for safety reasons so that when such objects are present, the power supply to the ground components may be reduced or completely shut down or otherwise modified to maximize the safety of the wireless electric vehicle charging system. Specifically, FODs are typically used to prevent damage to wireless electric vehicle charging systems and/or foreign objects, while LODs are typically used to prevent injury and/or death of personnel and/or animals in the vicinity of the system. In the case of FOD, a particular safety concern is that (hetero) metal objects exposed to magnetic fields may heat up, which may be dangerous, and thus systems that detect hetero metal objects are used to ensure that such objects are removed from the WPT area prior to starting WPT/charging. For this reason, industry standards generally require FOD systems used in wireless electric vehicle charging systems to be able to detect metal objects greater than 2 millimeters. Similarly, industry standards require that wireless electric vehicle charging systems be provided with a system for determining how well the WPT coil of the ground assembly and the WPT coil of the vehicle assembly are aligned with each other to maximize the efficiency of the charging process. It should be appreciated that the charging efficiency is higher when a greater degree of alignment is achieved. A problem with prior art FOD, LOD and alignment systems is that these systems may be able to detect the presence of an object, but not characterize the object as a foreign object or a living being. In some cases, when there is a foreign object (e.g., a leaf), it may not be necessary to shut off the power supply to the ground assembly WPT coil, as this does not present any safety issues associated therewith. However, since the existing system cannot recognize the leaves as leaves, but can recognize the existence of objects more widely, the system may shut off the power supply to the ground component WPT coil when not necessary. For example, this may make a wireless electric vehicle charging system less convenient for its user as it is. Accordingly, it is still desirable to provide a wireless electric vehicle charging system with a FOD/LOD system that is capable of characterizing an object as a foreign (metallic) object or living object. In some prior art cordless electric vehicle charging systems, the FOD/LOD system is able to distinguish between foreign objects and l