Wireless charging apparatus and method thereof
A wireless charging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a pad determinor configured to determine a receiving pad mounted on an electric vehicle entering a wireless charging station, and a power transmitter configured to select a transmitting pad to correspond to the receiving pad determined by the pad determinor, and transmit charging power to the receiving pad through the transmitting pad.
1 . A wireless charging apparatus, comprising:
a pad determinor configured to determine a shape of a receiving pad mounted on an electric vehicle entering a wireless charging station; and
a wireless charger configured to physically select from among a plurality of distinct transmitting pads, each having a fixed physical shape that corresponds to the shape of the receiving pad determined by the pad determinor, and transmit charging power to the receiving pad through the transmitting pad,
wherein the pad determinor comprises a single searching coil positioned between the receiving pad and the transmitting pad, and a controller configured to apply a pulse voltage to the single searching coil and determine the shape of the receiving pad from a difference in a maximum current value observed for the pulse among pad types.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transmitting pads includes pad shapes among CP, DDP, BPP, and DDQP, and the wireless charger selects a transmitting pad whose fixed coil shape corresponds to the shape determined for the receiving pad.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the single searching coil has a lateral extent greater than a lateral extent of the receiving pad and substantially equal to a lateral extent of a transmitting pad.
4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to sense a current waveform produced in response to the pulse voltage applied to the single searching coil and determine the shape of the receiving pad from a difference in a maximum current value measured from the measured current waveform.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller compares the measured maximum current to predetermined thresholds associated with CP, DDP, BPP, and DDQP.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a selector controlled by the controller to position or choose the selected transmitting pad.
7 . A method of wireless charging an electric vehicle entering a wireless charging station using a wireless charging apparatus, comprising:
detecting a receiving pad mounted on the electric vehicle entering the wireless charging station;
determining a shape of the detected receiving pad by applying a pulse voltage to a single searching coil positioned between a transmitting pad and the receiving pad, sensing a current in the single searching coil, and determining the shape from a difference in a maximum current value observed for the pulse among pad types;
physically selecting from among a plurality of distinct transmitting pads, each having a fixed physical coil shape that corresponds to the shape of the determined receiving pad; and
transmitting charging power to the receiving pad through the transmitting pad.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising comparing the observed maximum current value to predetermined thresholds associated with CP, DDP, BPP and DDQP pad types.
9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising presenting, on a user interface, an indication of the selected transmitting pad during charging.
10 . A wireless charging apparatus for charging an electric vehicle, comprising:
a pad determinor configured to determine a shape of a receiving pad mounted on the electric vehicle, the pad determinor including a single searching coil positioned between a transmitting pad and the receiving pad and a controller electrically connected to the single searching coil,
wherein the controller is configured to apply a pulse voltage to the single searching coil, sense a current flowing through the single searching coil in response to the pulse, and determine the shape of the receiving pad from a difference in a maximum current value observed for a pulse of the same width among pad types, and
wherein the single searching coil is formed to be larger than the receiving pad and is formed to have substantially a same size as a transmitting pad; and
a wireless charger including a plurality of distinct transmitting pads, each having a fixed physical coil shape, the wireless charger being configured to physically select a transmitting pad whose fixed coil shape corresponds to the shape determined for the receiving pad and to transmit charging power to the receiving pad through the selected transmitting pad.