Patent Application
20210237716
The present disclosure relates generally to automated control systems of motor vehicles. More specifically, aspects of this disclosure relate to intelligent park assist systems with control logic to automate vehicle alignment for electric-drive vehicle charging.
Current production motor vehicles, such as the modern-day automobile, are originally equipped with a powertrain that operates to propel the vehicle and power the vehicle's onboard electronics. In automotive applications, for example, the vehicle powertrain is generally typified by a prime mover that delivers driving power through an automatic or manually shifted power transmission to the vehicle's final drive system (e.g., differential, axle shafts, road wheels, etc.). Automobiles have historically been powered by a reciprocating-piston type internal combustion engine (ICE) assembly due to its ready availability and relatively inexpensive cost, light weight, and overall efficiency. Such engines include compression-ignited (CI) diesel engines, spark-ignited (SI) gasoline engines, two, four, and six-stroke architectures, and rotary engines, as some non-limiting examples. Hybrid electric and full electric (“electric-drive”) vehicles, on the other hand, utilize alternative power sources to propel the vehicle and, thus, minimize or eliminate reliance on a fossil-fuel based engine for tractive power.
A full electric vehicle (FEV)—colloquially branded as an “electric car”—is a type of electric-drive vehicle configuration that altogether removes the internal combustion engine and attendant peripheral components from the powertrain system, relying solely on electric traction motors for propulsion and for supporting accessory loads. The engine assembly, fuel supply system, and exhaust system of an ICE-based vehicle are replaced with a single or multiple traction motors, a traction battery back, and battery cooling and charging hardware in an FEV. Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) powertrains, in contrast, employ multiple sources of tractive power to propel the vehicle, most commonly operating an internal combustion engine assembly in conjunction with a battery-powered or fuel-cell-powered traction motor. Since hybrid-type, electric-drive vehicles are able to derive their power from sources other than the engine, hybrid electric vehicle engines may be turned off, in whole or in part, while the vehicle is propelled by the electric motor(s).
High-voltage electrical systems govern the transfer of electricity between the traction motor(s) and a rechargeable traction battery pack (also referred to as “electric-vehicle battery”) that stores and supplies the requisite power for operating an electric-drive powertrain. A traction battery pack contains multiple stacks of battery cells that are packaged into individual battery modules and stored inside a battery pack housing. Some vehicular battery systems employ multiple independently operable, high-voltage battery packs to provide higher voltage delivery and greater system capacity through increased amp-hours. The vehicle's electric system may employ a front-end DC-to-DC power converter that is electrically connected to the vehicle's traction battery pack(s) in order to increase the voltage supply to a high-voltage main direct current (DC) bus and an electronic power inverter module (PIM). Operation and control of a multi-phase electric motor, such as permanent magnet synchronous traction motors, may be accomplished by employing the PIM to transform DC electric power to alternating current (AC) power using pulse-width modulated control signals output from a Battery Pack Control Module (BPCM).
As hybrid and electric vehicles become more prevalent, infrastructure is being developed and deployed to make day-to-day use of such vehicles feasible and convenient. Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) for recharging electric-drive vehicles come in many forms, including residential electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) purchased and operated by a vehicle owner (e.g., installed in the owner's garage), publicly accessible EVCS provisioned by public utilities or private retailers (e.g., at gas stations or municipal charging facilities), and sophisticated high-voltage, high-current charging stations used by automobile manufacturers, dealers, and service stations. Plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles originally equipped with an onboard traction battery pack, for example, can be recharged by physically connecting a charging cable of the EVCS to a complementary charging port of the vehicle. By comparison, wireless electric vehicle charging systems (WEVCS) utilize electromagnetic field (EMF) induction or other suitable wireless power transfer (WPT) techniques to provide vehicle charging capabilities without the need for charging cables and cable ports. It is axiomatic that large-scale vehicle electrification in turn necessitates a concomitant buildout of readily accessible charging infrastructure to support daily vehicle use in both urban and rural scenarios, for both short-distance and long-distance vehicle range.
Presented herein are intelligent vehicle systems with attendant control logic for camera-based automated vehicle alignment, methods for making and methods for using such systems, and electric-drive vehicles equipped with advanced park assist (APA) systems using vision-based alignment for optimized wireless vehicle charging. By way of example, disclosed APA system architectures include vehicle-mounted, high-definition (HD) cameras that operate independently or, if desired, in conjunction with a subset or combination of other vehicle sensors and infrastructure-based cameras for acquiring real-time perspective view data of the vehicle's surroundings and driving surface. An in-vehicle Global Positioning System (GPS) transceiver may retrieve GPS coordinate data of real-time locations for the vehicle and a target element, such as an EMF wireless charging pad. In addition, a resident short-range communications component connects with a WEVCS to ascertain charge station availability and compatibility, adopt charging and communication protocols, and select service, alignment, and pairing settings. A dedicated or shared vehicle controller derives path plan data for maneuvering the vehicle to, and concomitantly aligning predetermined vehicle segments with, target marker(s) of the target element. Using the foregoing information, the vehicle controller or a distributed network of control modules or subsystem controllers govern vehicle speed, heading, and travel distance via the vehicle's propulsion system, steering system, and braking system in a closed-loop control scheme to achieve a desired alignment within a predetermined accuracy.
Attendant benefits for at least some of the disclosed concepts include novel APA system architectures that enable accurate alignment of a predetermined point, edge, and/or section of a vehicle with a target element external to the vehicle. Depending on hardware availability and processing capacity, the APA system may achieve a camera-based target positioning accuracy of between about ±3 mm to about ±8 mm in fore-aft (longitudinal) and port-starboard (lateral) alignment. The vision-based APA system is able to monitor for, identify, and ascertain precise location, shape, and size data of unique target elements. For wireless charging applications, disclosed systems, methods and devices help to optimize charging efficiency while maintaining high levels of overall system robustness. Disclosed APA systems eliminate the need for dedicated sensors, cameras, and hardware accelerators for accurate vehicle alignment during automated park-assist operations.
Aspects of this disclosure are directed to intelligent park assist systems (iPAS) with attendant control logic for camera-based automated vehicle alignment, e.g., for optimized wireless vehicle charging. In an example, there is presented a vehicle APA system that includes a front camera that mounts to the vehicle body proximate a front end thereof, one or more side cameras that each mounts proximate a respective lateral side of the vehicle body, and an optional underbody camera that mounts proximate the vehicle body's undercarriage. The front camera is operable to capture real-time, forward-facing (anterior) views of the vehicle, while each side camera is operable to capture real-time, side-facing (left/right lateral) views of the vehicle, and the underbody camera is operable to capture real-time, downward-facing (underside) views. The APA system employs a resident or remote vehicle controller that is communicatively connected to the cameras to receive therefrom camera-generated signals indicative of real-time images of the vehicle's forward-facing, side-facing, and (optionally) downward-facing views. The controller analyzes the real-time images to detect target elements present in any or all of these vehicle views. Responsive to detecting a target element, the vehicle controller transmits heading control signals to the vehicle's steering system to reposition the motor vehicle and thereby locate the target element at a center position within the forward-facing view, at a respective top position in each side-facing view, and (optionally) at a center position in the downward-facing view. Speed control signals are transmitted to the propulsion system to propel the motor vehicle forward such that the target element disappears from the side-facing view(s) and repositions to a calibrated distance from the front end of the vehicle body. Heading, braking, and speed control signals are systematically modulated to align a designated segment of the motor vehicle with a target marker of the target element.
Additional aspects of this disclosure are directed to vehicles equipped with intelligent vehicle systems that provision camera-based automated vehicle alignment. As used herein, the terms “vehicle” and “motor vehicle” may be used interchangeably and synonymously to include any relevant vehicle platform, such as passenger vehicles (ICE, HEV, FEV, fuel cell, fully and partially autonomous, etc.), commercial vehicles, industrial vehicles, tracked vehicles, off-road and all-terrain vehicles (ATV), motorcycles, farm equipment, watercraft, aircraft, etc. For purposes of this disclosure, the terms “automated” and “autonomous” may be used synonymously and interchangeably to denote vehicles with assisted and/or fully autonomous driving capabilities, including vehicle platforms that may be classified as a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level 2, 3, 4 or 5 vehicle.
In an example, an electric-drive motor vehicle includes a vehicle body with multiple road wheels and other standard original equipment. A vehicle propulsion and powertrain system (e.g., engine and/or motor, transmission, final drive, powertrain control module (PCM), etc.), a vehicle brake system (e.g., disk/drum brakes, hydraulics, brake system control module (BSCM), etc.), a steering system (e.g., drive-by-wire framework) and a network of sensing devices (e.g., radar, LIDAR, infrared, camera, GPS, automated system control module (ASCM), etc.), are also mounted to the vehicle body. For electric-drive vehicle applications, one or more electric traction motors operate alone (e.g., for FEV powertrains) or in conjunction with an internal combustion engine assembly (e.g., for HEV powertrains) to selectively drive one or more of the road wheels to thereby propel the vehicle. Also mounted on the vehicle body is one or more rechargeable traction battery packs that selectively store and transmit electric current to power the traction motor(s). A wireless charging component, which is also mounted to the vehicle body and electrically connected to the battery pack, operably couples with a wireless charging pad of a wireless electric vehicle supply equipment (WEVSE) system to thereby generate electric current.
Continuing with the discussion of the above example, the vehicle also includes a front camera that is mounted proximate a front end of the vehicle body, a side camera mounted proximate a lateral side of the vehicle body, and a vehicle controller operatively connected to the front and side cameras and the wireless charging component. The vehicle controller is programmed to receive, from the on-body vehicle cameras, camera signals indicative of real-time images of forward-facing and side-facing views of the electric-drive vehicle, and analyze the real-time images to detect if the wireless charging pad is present in any of the recorded vehicle views. Responsive to detecting the wireless charging pad, the controller transmits heading control signals to a vehicle steering system module to reposition the vehicle and thereby locate the wireless charging pad at a center position within the vehicle's forward-facing view and at a top position within the side-facing view. The controller also transmits speed control signals to a vehicle propulsion system module to propel the motor vehicle such that the wireless charging pad disappears from the side-facing view and moves to a calibrated distance from the front end of the vehicle body (e.g., target 0″ away from vehicle bumper). The heading and speed control signals are adapted to align the front bumper of the motor vehicle with a target marker of the WEVSE system.
Also presented herein are methods for manufacturing and methods for operating any of the disclosed electric-drive vehicles, intelligent vehicle systems, and/or intelligent park assist architectures. In an example, a method is presented for operating an APA system of a motor vehicle. This representative method includes, in any order and in any combination with any of the above and below disclosed options and features: receiving, via a vehicle controller of the APA system from one or more front cameras mounted to a vehicle body of the motor vehicle proximate a front end thereof, camera signals indicative of real-time images of a forward-facing view of the motor vehicle; receiving, via the vehicle controller from one or more side cameras mounted to the vehicle body proximate one or more lateral sides thereof, camera signals indicative of real-time images of a side-facing view of the motor vehicle; analyzing, via the vehicle controller, the real-time images to detect if a target element is present in the forward-facing and/or side-facing views of the motor vehicle; responsive to detecting the target element, transmitting heading control signals to a steering system of the motor vehicle to reposition the motor vehicle and thereby locate the target element at a center position within the forward-facing view and at a top position within the side-facing view; transmitting speed control signals to a propulsion system of the motor vehicle to propel the motor vehicle such that the target element disappears from the side-facing view and repositions to a calibrated distance from the front end of the vehicle body; and modulating the heading and speed control signals to align a designated segment of the motor vehicle with a target marker of the target element.
The above summary does not represent every embodiment or every aspect of this disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides examples of some of the novel concepts and features set forth herein. The above features and advantages, and other features and attendant advantages of this disclosure, will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative examples and modes for carrying out the present disclosure when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Moreover, this disclosure expressly includes any and all combinations and subcombinations of the elements and features presented above and below.
The present disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, and some representative embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that the novel aspects of this disclosure are not limited to the particular forms illustrated in the above-enumerated drawings. Rather, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, combinations, subcombinations, permutations, groupings, and alternatives falling within the scope of this disclosure as encompassed, for example, by the appended claims.
This disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. Representative embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail with the understanding that these embodiments are provided as an exemplification of the disclosed principles, not limitations of the broad aspects of the disclosure. To that extent, elements and limitations that are described, for example, in the Abstract, Introduction, Summary, and Detailed Description sections, but not explicitly set forth in the claims, should not be incorporated into the claims, singly or collectively, by implication, inference or otherwise.
For purposes of the present detailed description, unless specifically disclaimed: the singular includes the plural and vice versa; the words “and” and “or” shall be both conjunctive and disjunctive; the words “any” and “all” shall both mean “any and all”; and the words “including,” “containing,” “comprising,” “having,” and the like, shall each mean “including without limitation.” Moreover, words of approximation, such as “about,” “almost,” “substantially,” “generally,” “approximately,” and the like, may each be used herein in the sense of “at, near, or nearly at,” or “within 0-5% of,” or “within acceptable manufacturing tolerances,” or any logical combination thereof, for example. Lastly, directional adjectives and adverbs, such as fore, aft, inboard, outboard, starboard, port, vertical, horizontal, upward, downward, front, back, left, right, etc., may be with respect to a motor vehicle, such as a forward driving direction of a motor vehicle, when the vehicle is operatively oriented on a horizontal driving surface.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like features throughout the several views, there is shown in
In the illustrated example, the wireless charging pad/platform 24 is located on the floor of the vehicle charging station 20, and is positioned in accordance with a “target position” that may serve as a desired parking location for purposes of efficient and effective wireless charging of the vehicle 10. In particular,
The vehicle charging station 20 may employ any heretofore and hereafter developed type of wired and wireless charging technology, including inductive charging, radio charging, capacitive charging, and resonance charging, as some non-limiting examples. In accordance with electromagnetic induction charging technology, the representative wireless charging pad 24 of
Traction battery pack 14 stores energy that can be used for propulsion by the electric machine(s) 16 and for operating other vehicle electrical systems. The traction battery pack 14 is communicatively connected (wired or wirelessly) to one or more vehicle controllers, represented in
Vehicle charging station 20 of
As part of the vehicle charging process, the vehicle 10 and station 20 may individually or collaboratively monitor wired/wireless charging availability, wireless power quality, and other related issues that may affect vehicle charging. According to the illustrated example, the vehicle ECU 26 of
The representative vehicle 10 of
With continuing reference to
Operation of the automobile 10 of
Feedback signals are analyzed to derive a coordinate distance (Cartesian in x, y, z; Celestial in φ, θ; GPS in DMS, DMM or DD) from a select point, edge, and/or section of the vehicle to a target center or other target marker of the target element. It may be desirable that the accuracy of this distance measurement be better than about 3.0 to about 8.0 millimeters (mm) at a distance of less than 1 meter (m) between the target and vehicle. Using camera-acquired data, the system is able to detect and define a target element at approximately 5.0 m or less from the camera system. Intrinsic and extrinsic camera parameters (e.g., yaw, pitch, roll, x-y-z location coordinates, etc.) may be used to identify the target, e.g., at vehicle speeds of less than approximately three (3) miles per hour (mph). Disclosed vehicle alignment systems and methods may be characterized by a lack of use of a hardware accelerator and/or partial usage of video odometer to achieve accurate vehicle alignment.
Illustrated in
Camera Sensor System 102 may be composed of any number, type, and arrangement of image capture devices, such as a distributed array of digital video cameras each fabricated with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor, or other suitable active-pixel sensor (APS). By way of non-limiting example, the CCS 102 is portrayed in
The distributed array of camera sensors 120, 122, 124 and 126 (
The motion commands output via PPS 106—controls signals SSC, SPC, SBC—are aggregated via a summation selector module 110, along with motion feedback data as part of a closed-loop control scheme. With this closed-loop feedback, the intelligent vehicle system 100 is able to identify and quantify an alignment error, which is output as an alignment error signal SAE to ASCM 112. To offset this alignment error, the ASCM 112 may actively modulate the motion command signals, thus outputting modified steering system, propulsion system, and brake system control signals SSC′, SPC′, and SBC′, respectively. The intelligent vehicle system 100 of
With reference now to the flowchart of
Method 200 begins at terminal block 201 with processor-executable instructions for a programmable controller or control module or similarly suitable processor or server computer to call up an initialization procedure for an automated vehicle alignment protocol. This routine may be executed in real-time, continuously, systematically, sporadically and/or at regular intervals, for example, each 100 milliseconds, etc., during ongoing vehicle operation. As yet another option, terminal block 201 may initialize responsive to a user command prompt or a broadcast prompt signal received from a backend or middleware computing node tasked with autonomous vehicle alignment. As part of the initialization procedure at block 201, for example, resident vehicle telematics unit 42 may execute a navigation processing code segment, e.g., to obtain vehicle data (e.g., geospatial data, speed, heading, acceleration, timestamp, etc.), and optionally display select aspects of this data to an occupant of the vehicle 10. The occupant may employ any of the HMI input controls 48 to then select a desired origin and/or destination for the vehicle. It is also envisioned that the ECU 26 or telematics unit 42 processors receive vehicle origin and vehicle destination information from other sources, such as a server-class computer provisioning data exchanges for the cloud computing system 44 or a dedicated mobile software application operating on a smartphone or other handheld computing device.
Upon initialization, the method 200 provides processor-executable instructions at data block 203 to acquire image data from one or more available on-body vehicle cameras. As described above, a host vehicle (e.g., automobile 10 of
Advancing from data block 203 to input/output block 205, the method 200 of
Responsive to detecting a target element within at least one of the perspective views of the vehicle (Block 207=YES), the method 200 of
If the heading control signals transmitted to the vehicle's steering system unsuccessfully locate the target at the center position within the forward-facing view (Block 211=NO), at the top-right position within the port side-facing view (Block 213=NO), at the top-left position within the starboard side-facing view (Block 215=NO), and at the center position within the downward-facing view (Block 217=NO), the method 200 loops back to decision block 207 and repeats the operations subsequent thereto. On the other hand, if proper target positioning is achieved, subroutine block 219 of
With continuing reference to
Method 200 continues from subroutine block 223 to process block 225 and commences precise alignment of the vehicle based on target element (wireless charge pad) requirements, intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of the available on-body vehicle cameras and, if used, image data produced by the underbody camera. At this time, the vehicle controller modulates heading, speed, and braking control signals to align a designated segment of the motor vehicle (e.g., inductive charging component 22) with a target marker or set of target markers (e.g., a specified point or area) of the target element (e.g., wireless charging pad 24). Extrinsic camera parameters may define a location and an orientation of a camera with respect to a uniform (world) frame (e.g., x,y,z, roll, yaw, pitch, etc.). Intrinsic camera parameters, on the other hand, may allow a mapping between camera coordinates and pixel coordinates in the image frame. At decision block 227, the method 200 determines whether or not the vehicle is aligned with the target element within a vehicle-calibrated or target-calibrated accuracy threshold (e.g., ±25 mm for full power operation of a WEVSE). If precise alignment has not yet been achieved (Block 227=NO), the method 200 loops back to decision block 207 and repeats the operations subsequent thereto.
Upon determining that a designated point, edge, component, etc. (collectively “segment”) of the motor vehicle is aligned with the target marker(s) of the target element (Block 227=YES), the method 200 responsively outputs an ALIGNMENT SUCCESSFUL signal, e.g., to the driver and/or WEVSE controller, at process block 229. Process block 229 may also include the vehicle controller transmitting a park control signal to the vehicle's propulsion/powertrain system to place the vehicle in a park state. For a wireless charging application, a wireless communications device of the vehicle, which is operable to communicate with an off-board EVCS controller, transmits a confirmation signal to the EVCS controller to verify the motor vehicle is aligned and, at the same time, to initiate vehicle charging, at process block 229.
Method 200 of
During a Service Discovery and System Compatibility Check: at about 10-30 m from target, a protocol discovery procedure commences whereat the WEVSE and vehicle agree on a communications protocol (Major/Minor version) and commence high-level communications (HLC); a service selection and initial compatibility check is performed, at which the vehicle and WEVSE exchange information about hardware compatibility, power capabilities, service selection and payment method; the vehicle selects fine positioning, pairing and alignment methods; the vehicle receives a list of available parking spot(s) after payment option is accepted by the WEVSE.
During Alignment and Pairing: at about 6-12 m from target, the intended parking spot has been identified, optional safety mechanisms may be engaged, the vehicle and EVSE may exchange configuration parameters for selected fine positioning method; the vehicle may request activation of a selected ground assembly (GA) positioning system (LPE, LF, MV); at 6-0 m from target, the vehicle and EVSE may exchange ground assembly identification (GAID) information and movement parameters; at about 2-0 m from target, the WEVSE may optionally energize the base pad; vehicle and WEVSE exchange end-movement parameters to indicate vehicle believes it is within tolerance of the GA; fine positioning and LPE engagement are confirmed and, if signal quality is deemed acceptable, charging is commenced. For some implementations, the vehicle must be parked before a “starting pairing” message is exchanged. After parking, the vehicle and WEVSE confirm coils are within tolerance as an initial assessment for pairing.
Aspects of this disclosure may be implemented, in some embodiments, through a computer-executable program of instructions, such as program modules, generally referred to as software applications or application programs executed by any of a controller or the controller variations described herein. Software may include, in non-limiting examples, routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular data types. The software may form an interface to allow a computer to react according to a source of input. The software may also cooperate with other code segments to initiate a variety of tasks in response to data received in conjunction with the source of the received data. The software may be stored on any of a variety of memory media, such as CD-ROM, magnetic disk, bubble memory, and semiconductor memory (e.g., various types of RAM or ROM).
Moreover, aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced with a variety of computer-system and computer-network configurations, including multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable-consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. In addition, aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced in distributed-computing environments where tasks are performed by resident and remote-processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed-computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer-storage media including memory storage devices. Aspects of the present disclosure may therefore be implemented in connection with various hardware, software or a combination thereof, in a computer system or other processing system.
Any of the methods described herein may include machine readable instructions for execution by: (a) a processor, (b) a controller, and/or (c) any other suitable processing device. Any algorithm, software, control logic, protocol or method disclosed herein may be embodied as software stored on a tangible medium such as, for example, a flash memory, a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a digital versatile disk (DVD), or other memory devices. The entire algorithm, control logic, protocol, or method, and/or parts thereof, may alternatively be executed by a device other than a controller and/or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware in an available manner (e.g., implemented by an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable logic device (FPLD), discrete logic, etc.). Further, although specific algorithms are described with reference to flowcharts depicted herein, many other methods for implementing the example machine-readable instructions may alternatively be used.
Aspects of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments; those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the precise construction and compositions disclosed herein; any and all modifications, changes, and variations apparent from the foregoing descriptions are within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the present concepts expressly include any and all combinations and subcombinations of the preceding elements and features.
