# US 10,369,893 B2 · Intelligent vehicle control for wireless power transfer (WPT)

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- Number: US 10,369,893 B2
- Document ID: US10369893B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/790,687
- Filed: 2017-10-23
- Published: 2019-02-07
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-07
- Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Ashok Krishnaji Moghe; John George Apostolopoulos
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369893B2

## CPC

- B60L 53/126: 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
- B60L 53/00: Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
- B60L 53/12: Inductive energy transfer
- B60L 53/32: {by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops}
- B60L 53/36: by positioning the vehicle
- B60L 53/38: specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
- B60L 53/39: with position-responsive activation of primary coils
- B60L 53/68: Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
- B60W 30/00: Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
- G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)}
- G05D 1/0282: {generated in a local control room}
- G08G 1/00: Traffic control systems for road vehicles (arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 {; automatic vehicle control B62D})
- G08G 1/096725: {where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control}
- G08G 1/096741: {where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle}
- G08G 1/096775: {where the origin of the information is a central station}
- G08G 1/096783: {where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element}
- H01M 10/44: Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00)
- H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling
- H02J 50/90: involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
- B60L 2240/12: Speed
- B60L 2240/622: by satellite navigation
- B60L 2240/70: Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
- B60L 2260/32: Auto pilot mode
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
- Y04S 30/12: Remote or cooperative charging
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

In some embodiments, a device in a network receives vehicle characteristic data regarding one or more autonomous vehicles. Each autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles is equipped with a vehicle-based charging coil configured to receive electrical power from a ground-based charging coil of a wireless power transfer (WPT) system. The device, based on the received vehicle characteristic data, identifies one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system available to provide power to the one or more autonomous vehicles. The device determines driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles to optimize power transfer from the one or more ground-based charging coils to the one or more autonomous vehicles. The device sends the driving parameters to the one or more autonomous vehicles to control movement of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving, at a device in a network, vehicle characteristic data regarding one or more autonomous vehicles, wherein each autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles is equipped with a vehicle-based charging coil configured to receive electrical power from a ground-based charging coil of a wireless power transfer (WPT) system;
identifying, by the device and based on the received vehicle characteristic data, one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system available to provide power to the one or more autonomous vehicles;
determining, by the device, driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles to optimize power transfer from the one or more ground-based charging coils to the one or more autonomous vehicles; and
sending, by the device, the driving parameters to the one or more autonomous vehicles to control movement of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the determining the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles comprises:
determining, by the device, a minimum amount of time needed to power a particular ground-based charging coil after the particular ground-based charging coil transfers power to a first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method as in claim 2, wherein the determining the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles further comprises:
determining, by the device, an optimal speed for a second autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles, based on the minimum amount of time needed to power the particular ground-based charging coil after the particular ground-based charging coil transfers power to the first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method as in claim 2, wherein the determining the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles further comprises:
determining, by the device, an optimal spacing between the first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles and a second autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles, based on the minimum amount of time needed to power the particular ground-based charging coil after the particular ground-based charging coil transfers power to the first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the received vehicle characteristic data is indicative of a non-charging vehicle in proximity of the one or more autonomous vehicles, and wherein the determining the driving parameters comprises:
determining, by the device, a spacing between a first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles and the non-charging vehicle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the determining the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles comprises:
using, by the device, a machine learning model that receives a feedback regarding optimizing the power transfer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the determining the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles comprises:
selecting, by the device, one or more routes to be taken by the one or more autonomous vehicles.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, further comprising:
providing, by the device, an indication of the driving parameters to a non-autonomous vehicle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the identifying the one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system comprises:
identifying, by the device, one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system that are located with a predefined physical region.

### Claim 10

An apparatus, comprising:
one or more network interfaces to communicate with a network;
a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes; and
a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed configured to:
receive vehicle characteristic data regarding one or more autonomous vehicles, wherein each autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles is equipped with a vehicle-based charging coil configured to receive electrical power from a ground-based charging coil of a wireless power transfer (WPT) system;
identify, based on the received vehicle characteristic data, one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system available to provide power to the one or more autonomous vehicles;
determine driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles to optimize power transfer from the one or more ground-based charging coils to the one or more autonomous vehicles; and
send the driving parameters to the one or more autonomous vehicles to control movement of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles by:
determining a minimum amount of time needed to power a particular ground-based charging coil after the particular ground-based charging coil transfers power to a first one of the autonomous vehicles.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters for the one or more vehicles by:
determining an optimal speed for a second one of the vehicles, based on the minimum amount of time needed to power the particular ground-based charging coil after the coil transfers power to a first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles by:
determining an optimal spacing between the first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles and a second autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles, based on the minimum amount of time needed to power the particular ground-based charging coil after the particular ground-based charging coil transfers power to the first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles by:
determining a lane or lane alignment for a particular autonomous vehicle of the vehicles that maximizes overlap between the vehicle-based charging coil of the particular autonomous vehicle and the ground-based charging coil.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the received vehicle characteristic data is indicative of a non-charging vehicle in proximity of the one or more autonomous vehicles, and wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters by:
determining a spacing between a first autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles and the non-charging vehicle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the apparatus determines the driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles by:
using a machine learning model that receives a feedback regarding optimizing the power transfer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the process when executed is further configured to:
provide an indication of the driving parameters to a non-autonomous vehicle.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the apparatus identifies the one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system by:
identifying one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system that are located with a predefined physical region.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises a fog computing capable road side unit.

### Claim 20

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a device to execute a process comprising:
receiving, at the device, vehicle characteristic data regarding one or more autonomous vehicles, wherein each autonomous vehicle of the one or more autonomous vehicles is equipped with a vehicle-based charging coil configured to receive electrical power from a ground-based charging coil of a wireless power transfer (WPT) system;
identifying, by the device and based on the received vehicle characteristic data, one or more ground-based charging coils of the WPT system available to provide power to the one or more autonomous vehicles;
determining, by the device, driving parameters for the one or more autonomous vehicles to optimize power transfer from the one or more ground-based charging coils to the one or more autonomous vehicles; and
sending, by the device, the driving parameters to the one or more autonomous vehicles to control movement of the one or more autonomous vehicles.