Electric power supply system for vehicle including a power receiving antenna

A vehicle for use in an electric power supply system for vehicle, the electric power supply system comprising:

• at least one power transmitting antenna, which is arranged on or under the ground, and
• a power receiving antenna, which is arranged in or on at least one vehicle,
• wherein the power transmitting and receiving antennas form a pair of resonators that couples with each other by producing resonant magnetic coupling between them, and
• wherein supposing that the direction in which the vehicle is traveling is Y direction and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction is X direction,
• the lengths of the power transmitting antenna as measured in the Y and X directions are greater than those of the power receiving antenna as measured in the Y and X directions, respectively, and
• the lengths of the power transmitting antenna as measured in the Y and X directions are greater than those of the vehicle as measured in the Y and X directions, respectively, and
• wherein if the length of the power transmitting antenna as measured in the X direction is W1 and the distance between the power transmitting and receiving antennas that face each other is H, then the system satisfies 0.11×W1≦H≦0.26×W1, and
• wherein power is supplied from the power transmitting antenna to the power receiving antenna by a non-contact method when the power transmitting antenna faces the power receiving antenna, and
• wherein while power transmission is carried out between the power transmitting antenna and the power receiving antenna, the entire power receiving antenna projected onto the plane defined by the outer periphery of the power transmitting antenna is positioned inside the outer periphery of the power transmitting antenna,
• the vehicle comprising:
• the power receiving antenna, and
• a load to be energized with the energy that the power receiving antenna has received from the power transmitting antenna.

A power transmitting antenna for use in an electric power supply system for vehicle, the electric power supply system comprising:

• at least one power transmitting antenna, which is arranged on or under the ground, and
• a power receiving antenna, which is arranged in or on at least one vehicle,
• wherein the power transmitting and receiving antennas form a pair of resonators that couples with each other by producing resonant magnetic coupling between them, and
• wherein supposing that the direction in which the vehicle is traveling is Y direction and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction is X direction,
• the lengths of the power transmitting antenna as measured in the Y and X directions are greater than those of the power receiving antenna as measured in the Y and X directions, respectively, and
• the lengths of the power transmitting antenna as measured in the Y and X directions are greater than those of the vehicle as measured in the Y and X directions, respectively, and
• wherein if the length of the power transmitting antenna as measured in the X direction is W1 and the distance between the power transmitting and receiving antennas that face each other is H, then the system satisfies 0.11×W1≦H≦0.26×W1, and
• wherein power is supplied from the power transmitting antenna to the power receiving antenna by a non-contact method when the power transmitting antenna faces the power receiving antenna, and
• wherein while power transmission is carried out between the power transmitting antenna and the power receiving antenna, the entire power receiving antenna projected onto the plane defined by the outer periphery of the power transmitting antenna is positioned inside the outer periphery of the power transmitting antenna.

A power receiving system comprising:

• a power receiving antenna for use in an electric power supply system for vehicle;
• and
• a power converting section for converting RF energy that the power receiving antenna has received from the power transmitting antenna into DC energy or AC energy, of which the frequency is lower than that of the RF energy, and outputting the DC energy or the AC energy,
• wherein the electric power supply system comprises:
• at least one power transmitting antenna, which is arranged on or under the ground, and
• a power receiving antenna, which is arranged in or on at least one vehicle,
• wherein the power transmitting and receiving antennas form a pair of resonators that couples with each other by producing resonant magnetic coupling between them, and
• wherein supposing that the direction in which the vehicle is traveling is Y direction and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction is X direction,
• the lengths of the power transmitting antenna as measured in the Y and X directions are greater than those of the power receiving antenna as measured in the Y and X directions, respectively, and
• the lengths of the power transmitting antenna as measured in the Y and X directions are greater than those of the vehicle as measured in the Y and X directions, respectively, and
• wherein if the length of the power transmitting antenna as measured in the X direction is W1 and the distance between the power transmitting and receiving antennas that face each other is H, then the system satisfies 0.11×W1≦H≦0.26×W1, and
• wherein power is supplied from the power transmitting antenna to the power receiving antenna by a non-contact method when the power transmitting antenna faces the power receiving antenna, and
• wherein while power transmission is carried out between the power transmitting antenna and the power receiving antenna, the entire power receiving antenna projected onto the plane defined by the outer periphery of the power transmitting antenna is positioned inside the outer periphery of the power transmitting antenna.