Mobile machine, wireless power transmission system, and wireless power transmission method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9889757-B2
Application number	US-201615094129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2016
Priority date	Oct 10, 2013
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a mobile machine includes a mobile body and a plurality of power transmission resonators. The mobile body is capable of being tilted in a particular direction such that a distance between a particular part opposed to a travel surface and the travel surface is reduced. The plurality of power transmission resonators are arranged at portions of the particular part of the mobile body, heights of the portions with reference to the travel surface being approximately identical with each other in a state of the mobile body being tilted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile machine comprising:
a mobile body capable of being tilted in a particular direction such that a distance between a particular part opposed to a travel surface and the travel surface is reduced; and
a plurality of power transmission resonators arranged at portions of the particular part of the mobile body, heights of the portions with reference to the travel surface being approximately identical with each other in a state of the mobile body being tilted,
wherein the plurality of power transmission resonators receive electric power from a plurality of other power transmission resonators arranged on the travel surface opposed to the plurality of power transmission resonators in a state in which the mobile body is tilted in the particular direction, by coupling with induced magnetic fields from the other power transmission resonators, and phases of the induced magnetic fields radiated from the other power transmission resonators relate such that the induced magnetic fields cancel each other.

2. The mobile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the power transmission resonators are arranged in a single line in a direction approximately orthogonal to the particular direction.

3. The mobile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the particular direction is a leftward direction of the mobile machine and the particular part is a left portion of the mobile body.

4. The mobile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the particular direction is a rightward direction of the mobile machine and the particular part is a right portion of the mobile body.

5. The mobile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the particular direction is a frontward direction of the mobile machine, and the particular part is a front portion of the mobile body.

6. The mobile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the particular direction is a rearward direction of the mobile machine and the particular part is a rear portion of the mobile body.

7. The mobile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the particular part is a lower surface portion of the mobile body.

8. The mobile machine according to claim 2 , wherein the power transmission resonators each include a magnetic core and a coil wound around the magnetic core, and the power transmission resonators are arranged such that a wind direction of the coil is substantially parallel to a right-left direction of the mobile machine.

9. The mobile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the power transmission resonators are arranged at a predetermined interval.

10. The mobile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the power transmission resonators are each configured to wirelessly receive electrical power from a plurality of other power transmission resonators arranged on the travel surface so as to be opposed to the power transmission resonators of the mobile machine in a state where the mobile body is tilted in the particular direction.

11. The mobile machine according to claim 10 , wherein the mobile body is configured to charge a storage battery with electrical energy on the basis of the electrical power received by the power transmission resonators, and to travel using as a driving source the electrical energy stored in the storage battery.

12. The mobile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile machine is a vehicle.

13. The mobile machine according to claim 12 , wherein the vehicle is an autobus having a kneeling function and the autobus makes a body of the autobus tilted in the particular direction by the kneeling function.

14. A wireless power transmission system comprising:
a mobile machine comprising a mobile body capable of being tilted in a particular direction such that a distance between a particular part opposed to a travel surface and the travel surface is reduced;
a plurality of first power transmission resonators arranged at portions of the particular part of the mobile body, heights of the portions with reference to the travel surface being approximately identical with each other in a state of the mobile body being tilted; and
a plurality of second power transmission resonators arranged on the travel surface so as to be opposed to the first power transmission resonators of the mobile machine, the second power transmission resonators being configured to wirelessly transmit electrical power to the first power transmission resonators by generating induced magnetic fields that couple with the first power transmission resonators,
wherein the plurality of first power transmission resonators receive electric power from the second power transmission resonators in a state in which the mobile body is tilted in the particular direction, by coupling with the induced magnetic fields from the second power transmission resonators, and phases of the induced magnetic fields radiated from the second power transmission resonators relate such that the induced magnetic fields cancel each other.

15. A wireless power transmission method comprising:
tilting a mobile machine comprising a mobile body capable of being tilted in a particular direction such that a distance between a particular part opposed to a travel surface and the travel surface is reduced;
providing a plurality of first power transmission resonators arranged at portions of the particular part of the mobile body, heights of the portions with reference to the travel surface being approximately identical with each other in a state of the mobile body being tilted wherein the mobile machine is tilted in the particular direction so that the first power transmission resonators are opposed to a plurality of second power transmission resonators arranged on the travel surface; and
wirelessly transmitting electrical power from the second power transmission resonators to the first power transmission resonators by generating induced magnetic fields that couple with the first power transmission resonators in a state of the mobile body being titled in the particular direction,
wherein the plurality of first power transmission resonators receive electric power from the second power transmission resonators in a state in which the mobile body is tilted in the particular direction, by coupling with induced magnetic fields from the second power transmission resonators, and phases of the induced magnetic fields radiated from the second power transmission resonators relate such that the induced magnetic fields cancel each other.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Obayashi Shuichi
• Oodachi Noriaki
• Shijo Tetsu
• Ogawa Kenichirou

Classifications

• B60L53/126

  Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver · CPC title

• B60L53/122

  Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil · CPC title

• B60L53/38

  specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer · CPC title

• B60L53/36

  by positioning the vehicle · CPC title

• H02J50/80

  involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices · CPC title