Precise Vehicle Location Detection Method Using a Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) System

The paper proposes a method for locating an electric means of transportation such as electric vehicles that adopts dynamic wireless charging system. The method works with magnetic wireless power transfer systems, based on a ferrite core counting approach. The ferrite core counter system operates by counting all the ferrite cores of the source coils used for guiding the magnetic field in a magnetic wireless power transfer system. The proposed ferrite core counter has a position detection accuracy equivalent to the spacing of the ferrite cores. In addition, this paper proposes a ferrite position identification (FPID) messaging unit to correct ferrite core counter errors. FPID blocks which are successively placed under the source coil are recognized by the ferrite core counter, and their passage is reported as a sort of message in the vehicle. This FPID messaging unit provides the ferrite core counter with a system that can correct errors in the number of ferrite cores counted. The effectiveness of the vehicle positioning system with the ferrite core counter and the FPID messaging unit has been demonstrated through simulation and experiments.