A detection circuit detects at least one of a value of a current flowing through a power transmitting coil, and a value of a current or voltage generated by an auxiliary coil. A control circuit determines a transmitting frequency based on the value detected by the detection circuit, the transmitting frequency at least locally minimizing load dependence. The control circuit determines a voltage for the transmitting power at which an output voltage of a power receiver apparatus is equal to a predetermined target voltage when generating the transmitting power having the transmitting frequency determined, and controls the power supply circuit to generate the transmitting power having the transmitting frequency and voltage determined.

An apparatus and method for identifying foreign objects in an inductive charging system having a charging unit and a vehicle for inductive charging, in which the charging unit includes a primary coil and the vehicle has a secondary coil in order to transmit electrical power from the primary coil to the secondary coil during a charging operation. The vehicle includes a camera system, and a camera control unit. The camera system captures at least one image of the charging unit when the vehicle approaches the charging unit, at the beginning of a charging operation and/or during a charging operation. The camera control unit digitally processes the at least one captured image in order to detect a foreign body located on the charging unit.

An inductive charger alignment system for a vehicle that includes: a plurality of on-board inductive receiving coils adapted to charge an on-board power source; an alignment controller coupled to the coils; an on-board signal element, e.g., a pair of headlamps, coupled to the controller; and an off-board inductive transmitter coil. Further, the controller is configured to direct the element to communicate an alignment between the receiving coils and the transmitter coil to an on-board driver. The alignment may include vehicle forward and side-to-side alignment between the receiving coils and the off-board transmitter coil.

A method for detecting an electrically conductive foreign body on a primary coil of an inductive charging station for an electric vehicle using a plurality of measuring inductances, which are arranged, on the primary coil side, in distributed fashion, in the area of the primary coil, facing, during operation, a secondary coil of the electric vehicle, over the cross section of the field region of the primary coil. A plurality of consecutive measurements of different groups of measurement inductances is carried out. Each measurement on a group of measurement inductivities is carried out simultaneously for all the measurement inductances of the group. The measurement inductances of each group are separated from one another by a predetermined minimum distance, which is selected so that the crosstalk between the measurement signals of the individual measurement inductances of each group remains below a predetermined threshold.

A smart battery includes a battery and a measurement module coupled to measure electrical characteristics of the battery. The smart battery also includes processing logic and a communication interface configured to receive the electrical characteristics and transmit the electrical characteristics to a receiver.

A plurality of projections is arranged in a matrix on the upper surface of the housing of a contactless charging unit (110). When supplying power wirelessly to an onboard power reception device, a beam emission unit in a beam reception and emission unit (120) emits a laser beam progressing along the upper surface of a power transmission unit (170) to scan the upper part of the entire upper surface of the power transmission unit (170). When receiving a reflected beam, the beam reception unit in the beam reception and emission unit (120) sends the results of beam reception to a determination unit. The determination unit determines the presence or absence of a foreign substance supported on at least one projection existing on the upper surface of the contactless charging unit (110) on the basis of the results of beam reception. Subsequently, when a foreign substance is present on the upper surface of the contactless charging unit (110), the control unit generates a supply control command indicating that no power is to be supplied to the onboard power reception device and sends the command to a supply unit. This will enable wireless power supply using the contactless system without any problem in terms of safety.

Method and apparatus are disclosed for preventing damage to an object within a charging field of a wireless vehicle battery charger. An example vehicle includes a wireless vehicle battery charger having a charging field, a plurality of Bluetooth antennas, and a processor. The processor is configured to identify a location of an object using one or more of the plurality of Bluetooth antennas, and, responsive to determining that the object is within the charging field, disable the wireless vehicle battery charger.

An apparatus and method for detecting a condition within a wireless charging field are described. In one implementation, an apparatus comprises a wireless power receiver configured to receive wireless charging power from a wireless power charging transmitter. The apparatus further comprises a first sensor circuit that is at least partially disposed within a ground surface, the first sensor being operationally coupled to and configured to be charged or powered by the wireless power receiver. The first sensor is further configured to detect the condition.

A power transmission device that wirelessly transmits power to a vehicle, the power transmission device including an information emitter that, in a case in which the position of the vehicle acquired by the information acquirer is located in a power transmission range of the power transmission coil and, also, the instruction receiver receives the instruction about power transmission, emits a first type of information that indicates a presence of the foreign object when the detector detects the foreign object, and in a case in which the instruction receiver does not receive the instruction about power transmission even though the position of the vehicle acquired by the position information acquirer is located in the power transmission range of the power transmission coil, does not emit the information that indicates the presence of the foreign object.

A power transmission device that wirelessly transmits power to a vehicle, the power transmission device including an information emitter that, in a case in which the position of the vehicle acquired by the information acquirer is located in a power transmission range of the power transmission coil and, also, the instruction receiver receives the instruction about power transmission, emits a first type of information that indicates a presence of the foreign object when the detector detects the foreign object, and in a case in which the instruction receiver does not receive the instruction about power transmission even though the position of the vehicle acquired by the position information acquirer is located in the power transmission range of the power transmission coil, does not emit the information that indicates the presence of the foreign object.