Description:

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING WIRELESS CHARGING OF AN ELECTRICALLY POWERED VEHICLE

TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] This disclosure relates generally to wireless charging, and more particularly to a method and system for performing wireless charging of an Electrically Powered Vehicle (EPV).

BACKGROUND
[002] With advancement of technology in electric vehicle industry, almost every Electrically Powered Vehicle (EPV) may have wireless charging capability. In wireless charging, a battery of the EPV is charged without using power cables. The wireless charging of the battery of the EPV can be done through a wireless power transmitter of a wireless charger that will transmit power to a wireless power receiver affixed to an underbody of the EPV. The wireless charging works on a principle of Electromagnetic induction, in which the wireless power transmitter produces a changing magnetic field and the wireless power receiver placed in the changing magnetic field of the wireless power transmitter may induce the voltage.
[003] A problem associated with the conventional charging system is misalignment of the wireless power transmitter with the wireless power receiver. To efficiently charge the battery of the EPV through the wireless charging, the wireless power transmitter should be aligned properly with the wireless power receiver. Reasons of misalignment may include manual parking of the EPV in a charging station, varying tire pressure of the EV, varying loads conditions of the EPV, and the like. Alignment may be easily achieved in smaller wireless charging applications. For example, a receiver of a smartphone may be aligned with a transmitter of a wireless charger by simply picking and placing the smartphone on the transmitter of the wireless charger. But this may not be possible in the case of EPVs.
[004] Therefore, in order to provide solutions to the aforementioned drawback, there exists a need to develop a method and system that may be capable of efficiently charging the battery of the EPV wirelessly.
SUMMARY
[005] In one embodiment, a method of performing a wireless charging of an electrically powered vehicle (EPV) is disclosed. The method may include receiving a specification of a wireless power receiver of the EPV. The specification may indicate a width and a length of the wireless power receiver. The method may further include performing an alignment of a wireless power transmitter of the wireless charger with respect to the wireless power receiver so as to align a geometric center of the wireless power transmitter with a geometric center of the wireless power receiver. The alignment may be performed by moving the wireless power transmitter relative to the wireless power receiver based on the width and the length of the wireless power receiver. The method may further include activating a wireless charging of a battery of the EPV upon performing the alignment of the wireless power transmitter with respect to the wireless power receiver.
[006] In another embodiment, a system for performing a wireless charging of an electrically powered vehicle (EPV) is disclosed. The system may include an alignment controller configured to receive a specification of a wireless power receiver of the EPV. The specification may indicate a width and a length of the wireless power receiver. The alignment controller may further be configured to perform an alignment of a wireless power transmitter of the wireless charger with respect to the wireless power receiver so as to align a geometric center of the wireless power transmitter with a geometric center of the wireless power receiver. The alignment may be performed by moving the wireless power transmitter relative to the wireless power receiver based on the width and the length of the wireless power receiver. Further, the alignment controller may be configured to activate a wireless charging of a battery of the EPV upon performing the alignment of the wireless power transmitter with respect to the wireless power receiver.
[007] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[008] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles.
[009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for performing a wireless charging of an Electrically Powered Vehicle (EPV), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[010] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a detailed method of performing wireless charging of an EPV, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.
[011] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of performing wireless charging of an EPV, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.
[012] FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate an exemplary scenario of performing a width-wise alignment after a length-wise alignment of a wireless power transmitter, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.
[013] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method of performing a width-wise alignment after a length-wise alignment of a wireless power transmitter, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.
[014] FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate an exemplary scenario of performing a length-wise alignment after a width-wise alignment of a wireless power transmitter, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.
[015] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method of performing a length-wise alignment after a width-wise alignment of a wireless power transmitter, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[016] The foregoing description has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter which forms the subject of the claims of the disclosure. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying other devices, systems, assemblies, and mechanisms for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristics of the disclosure, to its device or system, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.
[017] The terms “including”, “comprises”, “comprising”, “comprising of” or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusions, such that a system or a device that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or apparatus.
[018] Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, same numerals have been used to refer to the same or like parts. The following paragraphs describe the present disclosure with reference to Figs 1-6.
[019] Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a system 100 for performing a wireless charging of an electrically powered vehicle (EPV) 102 is illustrated, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the EPV 102 may be any type of EPV including, but not limited to, a passenger EPV, a utility EPV, an ambulance, a commercial EPV, a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), a Hybrid Electric vehicle (HEV), a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), or a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). In some embodiments, the EPV 102 may support wireless charging. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the EPV 102 may include a wireless power receiver 104, and a battery 106. The wireless power receiver 104 may include a conducting coil.
[020] The system 100 may further include a wireless charger 108. The wireless charger 108 may be configured to charge the battery 106 of the EPV 102 wirelessly i.e., without using any power cords. In order to wirelessly charge the battery 106, the wireless charger 108 may include a wireless power transmitter 110, a first transmitter sensor 112, a second transmitter sensor 114, an alignment controller 116, and an alignment motor 118. The EPV 102 and the wireless charger 108 may communicate with each other via a wireless connection. The wireless connection may be, but is not limited to, Dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), etc. In some embodiments, the wireless charger 108 may communicate with the EPV 102 when the EPV 102 is within a predefined proximity of the wireless charger 108.
[021] The wireless power transmitter 110 may include a conducting coil. In an embodiment, an Alternating Current (AC) power source may be connected to the wireless charger 108 for supplying power to the conducting coil of the wireless power transmitter 110. Further, in some embodiments, the wireless power transmitter 110 may be placed underneath the road or the floor of the wireless charging station in such a way that the wireless power transmitter 110 may not be visible at plain sight.
[022] The alignment controller 116 may include a memory 116a. The memory 116a may store instructions that, when executed by the alignment controller 116, may cause the alignment controller 116 to perform wireless charging of the EPV 102. The memory 116a may be a non-volatile memory or a volatile memory. Examples of non-volatile memory may include, but are not limited to a flash memory, a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Programmable ROM (PROM), Erasable PROM (EPROM), and Electrically EPROM (EEPROM) memory. Examples of volatile memory may include but are not limited to Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), and Static Random-Access memory (SRAM). The memory 116a may also store various parameters associated with the EPV 102 (e.g., the length and the width of the wireless power receiver 104, a power rating of the wireless power receiver 104, a ground clearance of the wireless power receiver 104, and the like) that may be captured, processed, and/or required by the system 100 using one or more sensors.
[023] The ground clearance may refer to a distance from ground surface to a bottom surface of the wireless power receiver 104. The ground clearance may be different for different types of receivers and may also be referred to as a Z-gap. For example, for a Z1 class of receiver the ground clearance range may be 100 to 150 mm, for a Z2 class of receiver the ground clearance range may be 140 to 210 mm, and for a Z3 class of receiver the ground clearance range may be 170 to 250 mm. By way of an example, for the Z2 class of receiver, in some embodiments, a transmitter may check for the receiver within the range 140 to 210 mm. In some embodiments, a sound may be generated upon detection of the wireless power receiver 104.
[024] For example, in some embodiments, the alignment controller 116 may receive a specification of the wireless power receiver 104 of the EPV 102. In some embodiments, the alignment controller 116 may receive the specification of the wireless power receiver 104 when the wireless power receiver 104 is in proximity with the wireless charger 108. Here, the specification indicates a width and a length of the wireless power receiver 104. Additionally, the specification indicates a power rating and/or a ground clearance (i.e., Z-gap) of the wireless power receiver 104. In some embodiments, the power rating may be indicative of the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver 104. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the specification may be in form of a class type of the wireless power receiver 104, a unique identity of the wireless power receiver 104, a class type of the EPV 102, or a unique identity of the EPV 102. For example, once the unique identity of the wireless power receiver 104 is known, the alignment controller 116 may determine the length, the width, the power rating, and/or any other parameters of the wireless power receiver 104 by referring to a database. After receiving the specification, the alignment controller 116 may perform an alignment of the wireless power transmitter 110 of the wireless charger 108 with respect to the wireless power receiver 104. The alignment may be performed in such a way that a geometric center of the wireless power transmitter 110 may be aligned with a geometric center of the wireless power receiver 104. The alignment may be performed by moving the wireless power transmitter 110 relative to the wireless power receiver 104 based on the width and the length of the wireless power receiver 104.
[025] In an embodiment, the first transmitter sensor 112 may be mounted at a trailing edge of the wireless power transmitter 110. In particular, the first transmitter sensor 112 may be mounted at about a center point of the trailing edge of the wireless power transmitter 110. As will be explained in greater detail below, the trailing edge of the wireless power transmitter 110 is a width-wise edge that is last to come beneath the EPV 102, while the leading edge of the wireless power transmitter 110 is a width-wise edge that is first to come beneath the EPV 102. Similarly, as will be explained in greater detail below, the leading edge of the wireless power receiver 104 is a width-wise edge that is first to come over the wireless power transmitter 110, while the trailing edge of the wireless power receiver 104 is a width-wise edge that is last to come over the wireless power transmitter 110. For example, an edge of the wireless power receiver 104 approaching the wireless power transmitter 110 first may be a leading edge of the wireless power receiver 104, and an edge opposite to the leading edge of the wireless power receiver 104 may be a trailing edge of the wireless power receiver 104. In detail, to perform the alignment, in some embodiments, the alignment controller 116 may determine an alignment of at least a portion of a trailing edge of the wireless power transmitter 110 with at least a portion of a leading edge of the wireless power receiver 104, via the first transmitter sensor 112. This may be executed based on comparison between the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver 104, and a distance between the first transmitter sensor 112 and at least the portion of the leading edge of the wireless power receiver 104. Examples of the first transmitter sensor 112 may include, but are not limited to, a laser based accurate distance sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR)/ Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor, or a position sensor. Alternatively, the first transmitter sensor 112 may determine alignment between the trailing edge of the wireless power transmitter 110 and the leading edge of the wireless power receiver 104 based on other sensing techniques. For example, the first transmitter sensor 112 may be a light sensor tuned to specific light, a Hall sensor-magnet, and so forth.
[026] Further, the alignment controller 116 may perform a length-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter 110 with the wireless power receiver 104 based on the length of the wireless power receiver 104. To perform the length-wise alignment, the wireless power transmitter 110 may be moved by a length-wise distance along a length of the wireless power transmitter 110. As a result, a width-wise axis of the wireless power transmitter 110 may be aligned with a width-wise axis of the wireless power receiver 104. In some embodiments, the length-wise distance may be computed based on the length of the wireless power transmitter 110 and the length of the wireless power receiver 104.
[027] Also, it should be noted that the second transmitter sensor 114 may be mounted at a side edge of the wireless power transmitter 110. In particular, the second transmitter sensor 114 may be mounted at about a center point of the side edge of the wireless power transmitter 110. The side edge of the wireless power transmitter 110 may correspond to one of the edges connecting the trailing edge and leading edge of the wireless power transmitter 110. Similarly, a side edge of the wireless power receiver 104 may correspond to one of the edges connecting a trailing edge and a leading edge of wireless power receiver 104. Thus, the side edges of the wireless power transmitter 110 or the wireless power receiver 104 may be length-wise edges of the wireless power transmitter 110 or wireless power receiver 104, respectively.
[028] In some embodiments, the alignment controller 116 may determine an alignment of at least a portion of the side edge of the wireless power transmitter 110 with at least a portion of a corresponding side edge of the wireless power receiver 104 via the second transmitter sensor 114. This may be executed based on comparison between the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver 104, and a distance between the second transmitter sensor 114 and at least the portion of the corresponding side edge of the wireless power receiver 104. Examples of the second transmitter sensor 114 may include, but are not limited to, the laser based accurate distance sensor, the ultrasonic sensor, the RADAR/LIDAR sensor, and the position sensor. Again, as stated above, the second transmitter sensor 114 may determine alignment between the side edge of the wireless power transmitter 110 and the corresponding side edge of the wireless power receiver 104 based on other sensing techniques. For example, the second transmitter sensor 114 may be a light sensor tuned to specific light, a Hall sensor-magnet, and so forth.
[029] Further, in detail, in some embodiments, the alignment controller 116 may perform a width-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter 110 with the wireless power receiver 104, to determine the alignment of side edges. Further, the width-wise alignment may be performed by moving the wireless power transmitter 110 by a width-wise distance along a width of the wireless power transmitter 110. As a result, a length-wise axis of the wireless power transmitter 110 may be aligned with a length-wise axis of the wireless power receiver 104. The width-wise distance may be computed based on the width of the wireless power transmitter 110 and the width of the wireless power receiver 104.
[030] In some embodiments, the alignment controller 116 may perform the length-wise alignment first and then the width-wise alignment (upon performing the length-wise alignment). This is further explained in conjunction with FIG. 3. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the alignment controller 116 may perform width-wise alignment first and then the length-wise alignment (upon performing the width-wise alignment). This is further explained in conjunction with FIG.4. The alignment controller 116 may be communicatively coupled to the alignment motor 118. The alignment motor 118 may receive signals from the alignment controller 116 may whenever a movement of the wireless power transmitter 110 is required for the length-wise alignment or the width-wise alignment.
[031] The alignment controller 116 may further activate a wireless charging of the battery 106 upon performing the alignment of the wireless power transmitter 110 with respect to the wireless power receiver 104. The wireless power receiver 104 of the EPV 102 may be affixed beneath the floor of the EPV 102. The wireless power receiver 104 may be affixed in such a way that no other component of the EPV 102 has same a ground clearance of the wireless power receiver 104. The ground clearance of the wireless power receiver 104 of the EPV 102 may be the distance between the wireless power receiver 104 and the ground below the EPV 102. The ground clearance may be predefined for EPVs based on their types. The ground clearance varies with the type of the EPV, power rating of a wireless power receiver, or manufacturer of the EPV. The battery 106 may be electrically connected to the wireless power receiver 104. As the wireless power transmitter 110 aligns itself with the wireless power receiver 104, the conducting coil of the wireless power transmitter 110 may start transferring the power to the conducting coil of the wireless power transmitter 110 by the action of electro-magnetic induction. Further, in some embodiments, a rectifier may be used to rectify the power received. The rectified power may be used to charge battery 106. Thus, the battery 106 may be charged by the action of electro-magnetic induction between the wireless power transmitter 110 and the wireless power receiver 104. It should be noted that that the alignment controller 116 may re-position the wireless power transmitter 110 to its original position once the EPV 102 is moved away from the wireless charger 108.
[032] The alignment motor 118 may be, but is not limited to, a DC motor, a stepper motor, or any other actuating device. The alignment motor 118 may be triggered upon receiving commands from the alignment controller 116 at different alignment stages of the wireless power transmitter 110. In some embodiments, the alignment motor 118 may be configured to move the wireless power transmitter 110 in a width-wise direction. In some other embodiments, the alignment motor 118 may be configured to move the wireless power transmitter 110 in a length-wise direction. Further, the alignment motor 118 may move the wireless power transmitter 110 in an upward or a downward direction to adjust the transmitter based on the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver 104.
[033] In some embodiments, the alignment controller 116 may interact with one or more external devices (not shown in FIG.1) over a communication network for sending or receiving various data. For example, the alignment controller 116 may interact with the one or more external devices for sending notification to a user about the parking the EPV 102 over a wireless charger 108 and the status of the alignment of the wireless power transmitter 110 of the wireless charger 108 with the wireless power receiver 104 of the EPV 102. The one or more external devices may include, but may not be limited to, a desktop, a laptop, a notebook, a netbook, a tablet, a smartphone, a smart wearable, a remote server, a software phone, a vehicle dashboard, or another computing system/device.
[034] In an embodiment, the communication between the alignment controller 116 and the one or more external devices may be based on a wireless network connection. The communication may be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) network, Automotive Ethernet DeviceNet network, ethernetIP network, intranet, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the internet, Wi-Fi, LTE network, CDMA network, and the like. Further, the network can either be a dedicated network or a shared network. The shared network represents an association of the different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, CAN, CAN FD, PSI5, LIN, FlexRay, Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), Open Platform Communication (OPC) protocols, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), and the like, to communicate with one another. Further, the communication may be implemented through a variety of network devices, including routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, storage devices, and the like.
[035] In an exemplary embodiment, the alignment controller 116 may be operated with hardwired inputs and outputs that communicate with the wireless charger 108 to perform wireless charging of the EPV 102. The controller I/O may include digital I/O that may be transmitted and received as discrete voltage signals to and from the devices such as a vehicle or a machinery, or analog I/O that transmits and receives analog voltage or current signals to and from the devices. The controller I/O can be received by the controller as described above which may then be processed to covert from analog to digital or digital to analog signals in order to be read into and controlled by the control programs or the components using one or more analog to digital convertors or digital signal processing algorithms. In an embodiment, the alignment controller 116 may include software executable controller which may be implemented on hardware platform or a hybrid device that combines controller functionality and other functions such as visualization. The control software or algorithms executed by autosoftware controllers may include coding or algorithm to process input signal read from the vehicle components or industrial devices or sensors, etc.
[036] In an embodiment, the alignment controller 116 may utilize a predefined control logic saved in the memory 116a in order to perform an alignment of the geometric center of the wireless power transmitter 110 with the geometric center of the wireless power receiver 104 based on the length and breadth of the wireless power receiver 104. The alignment controller 116 may calculate the distance to be moved by the wireless power transmitter 110, to align the wireless power transmitter 110 with the wireless power receiver 104. The alignment controller 116 may enable the alignment motor 118 to move the wireless power transmitter 110 in the length-wise or the width-wise direction. Further, the alignment controller 116 may activate the wireless charging of the battery 106 of the EPV 102.
[037] Referring now to FIG. 2, a method of performing wireless charging of an EPV (for example, the EPV 102) is depicted via a flowchart 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is explained in conjunction with FIG. 1. It should be noted that each of the steps 202-206 of the flowchart 200 may be performed by an alignment controller (same as the alignment controller 116).
[038] At step 202, a specification of a wireless power receiver (similar to the wireless power receiver 104) within the EPV may be received by a wireless charger (similar to the wireless charger 108). The specification may include an information of length and a breadth of the wireless power receiver. Also, the specification may indicate a power rating of the wireless power receiver. The power rating may be indicative of a ground clearance of the wireless power receiver.
[039] At steps 204, upon receiving the specification of the wireless power receiver, an alignment of a wireless power transmitter (same as the wireless power transmitter 110) of the wireless charger with respect to the wireless power receiver may be performed. The alignment may be performed to align a geometric center of the wireless power transmitter with a geometric center of the wireless power receiver. It should be noted that the alignment may be performed by moving the wireless power transmitter relative to the wireless power receiver based on the width and the length of the wireless power receiver. The wireless power transmitter may be moved using an alignment motor (analogous to the alignment motor 118).
[040] The wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver may have two opposite side edges, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The leading edge or trailing edge may be a width-wise edge of the wireless power transmitter/wireless power receiver. The side edges of the wireless power transmitter/the wireless power receiver may be length-wise edges of the wireless power transmitter/wireless power receiver. In other words, the side edges may be the edges along the length of the wireless power transmitter/the wireless power receiver, and the leading edges/trailing edges may be the edges along the width of the wireless power transmitter/the wireless power receiver. A side edge of the wireless power receiver may correspond to an edge connecting the trailing edge and the leading edge of wireless power receiver, and a side edge of the wireless power transmitter may correspond to an edge connecting the trailing edge and leading edge of the wireless power the wireless power transmitter. In one example, an edge of the wireless power receiver approaching the wireless power transmitter first may be a leading edge of the wireless power receiver, and an edge opposite to the leading edge of the wireless power receiver may be a trailing edge of the wireless power receiver.
[041] With regards to alignment of the wireless power transmitter with respect to the wireless power receiver, an alignment of at least a portion of a trailing edge of the wireless power transmitter with at least a portion of a leading edge of the wireless power receiver may be determined using a first transmitter sensor (such as the first transmitter sensor 112). It should be noted that comparison between the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver, and a distance between the first transmitter sensor and at least the portion of the leading edge of the wireless power receiver may be considered. In some embodiments, a length-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter with the wireless power receiver may be performed. This may be performed based on the length of the wireless power receiver. The length-wise alignment may be performed by moving the wireless power transmitter by a length-wise distance along a length of the wireless power transmitter. The wireless power transmitter may be moved using the alignment motor. Hence, a width-wise axis of the wireless power transmitter may be aligned with a width-wise axis of the wireless power receiver. It should be noted that the length-wise distance is computed based on the length of the wireless power transmitter and the length of the wireless power receiver.
[042] Further, to perform the alignment, an alignment of at least a portion of a side edge of the wireless power transmitter with at least a portion of a corresponding side edge of the wireless power receiver may be determined through a second transmitter sensor (such as, the second transmitter sensor). A side edge of the wireless power receiver may correspond to an edge connecting a trailing edge and a leading edge of wireless power receiver, and a side edge of the wireless power transmitter may correspond to an edge connecting the trailing edge and leading edge of the wireless power the wireless power transmitter. It should be noted that comparison between the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver, and a distance between the second transmitter sensor and at least the portion of the corresponding side edge of the wireless power receiver.
[043] In some embodiments, a width-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter with the wireless power receiver based on the width of the wireless power receiver may be performed. The width-wise alignment may be performed by moving the wireless power transmitter by a width-wise distance along a width of the wireless power transmitter, using the alignment motor. Hence, a length-wise axis of the wireless power transmitter may be aligned with a length-wise axis of the wireless power receiver. It should be noted that the width-wise distance is computed based on the width of the wireless power transmitter and the width of the wireless power receiver.
[044] At step 206, a wireless charging of a battery (same as the battery 106) of the EPV may be activated upon performing the alignment of the wireless power transmitter with respect to the wireless power receiver.
[045] In an embodiment, the width-wise alignment is performed after performing the length-wise alignment. In an alternate embodiment, the length-wise alignment may be performed upon performing the width-wise alignment. Thus, the geometric center of the wireless power transmitter may be aligned with the geometric center of the wireless power receiver.
[046] Referring now to FIG. 3, a method of performing wireless charging of an EPV (for example, the EPV 102) is depicted via a flowchart 300, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is explained in conjunction with FIGs. 1-2. It should be noted that each of the steps 302-308 of the flowchart 300 may be performed by an alignment controller (same as the alignment controller 116).
[047] At step 302, a specification of a wireless power receiver (similar to the wireless power receiver 104) may be received. The specification may include length and a breadth of the wireless power receiver. The transmitter and the receiver may correspond to the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
[048] Thereafter, at step 304, a condition whether a geometric centre of a wireless power transmitter (same as the wireless power transmitter 110) is aligned with a geometric centre of the wireless power receiver may be checked. In case the condition is true, or the geometric centre of the wireless power transmitter is properly aligned with the geometric centre of the wireless power receiver, step 308 may be executed directly without any further alignment. Otherwise, in case the condition is false, or the geometric centre of the wireless power transmitter is not properly aligned with the geometric centre of the wireless power receiver, step 306 may be executed.
[049] At step 306, the wireless power transmitter 108 may be adjusted to align the geometric centres of the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver. In other words, the wireless power transmitter may be adjusted in such a way that the geometric centre of the wireless power transmitter gets aligned with the geometric centre of the wireless power receiver. At step 308, once the geometric centre of the wireless power transmitter is properly aligned with the geometric centre of the wireless power receiver, a battery (analogous to the battery 106) of the EPV may start charging through the wireless power receiver and the wireless power transmitter.
[050] Referring now to FIGs. 4A-4D, an exemplary scenario of performing a width-wise alignment after a length-wise alignment of a wireless power transmitter 110 with a wireless power receiver 104 is illustrated, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGs. 4A-4D are explained in conjunction with FIGs. 1-3. The length-wise alignment is illustrated in FIGs. 4A and 4B. The width-wise alignment is illustrated in FIGs. 4C and 4D. For example, the EPV 102 may be parked at an allocated space in a charging station over the wireless charger 108. The allocated space may be marked to guide the parking of the EPV 102 over the wireless power transmitter 110 of the wireless charger 108. The parking of the EPV 102 may be manual or automatic based on the type of the EPV 102. In some embodiments, the wireless power transmitter 110 may be referred to as a transmitter and the wireless power receiver 104 may be referred to as a receiver.
[051] Further, with reference to the FIG. 1, the wireless power receiver 104 may include a leading receiver edge 402, a trailing receiver edge 404, a first receiver side edge 406A, a second receiver side edge 406B, a width-wise axis 408, a length-wise axis 410, and a geometric center 412. The wireless power transmitter 110 may include a leading transmitter edge 414, a trailing transmitter edge 416, a first transmitter side edge 418A, a second transmitter side edge 418B, a width-wise axis 420, a length-wise axis 422, and a geometric center 424. The first transmitter sensor 112 is fixed on center of the trailing edge 416 and the second transmitter sensor 114 is fixed on a center of the first side edge 418A. In some embodiments, the second transmitter sensor 114 is fixed on center of the second side edge 418B of the wireless power transmitter 110.
[052] In FIG. 4A, the EPV 102 may be parked in such a way that the leading receiver edge 402 of the wireless power receiver 104 may align with the trailing transmitter edge 416 of the wireless power transmitter 110. In the wireless power receiver 104, the leading edge (i.e., the leading receiver edge 402) is a width-wise forward edge of the wireless power receiver 104 in a vehicle travelling direction, while the trailing edge (i.e., trailing receiver edge 404) is a width-wise backward edge of the wireless power receiver 104 in the vehicle traveling direction. In other words, the leading receiver edge 402 and the trailing receiver edge 404 alternates based on a forward or a reverse movement of the vehicle. Thus, the leading receiver edge 402 is the width-wise edge that is first to come over the wireless power transmitter 110 and the trailing receiver edge 404 is the width-wise edge that is last to come over the wireless power transmitter 110.
[053] Further, in the wireless power transmitter 110, the leading edge (i.e., the leading transmitter edge 414) is a width-wise edge that is first to come beneath the EPV, while the trailing edge (i.e., the trailing transmitter edge 416) is a width-wise edge that is last to come beneath the EPV. Thus, while entering the parking space, the EPV 102 may move from the leading transmitter edge 414 towards the trailing transmitter edge 416. In particular, the leading receiver edge 402 may first cross the leading transmitter edge 414 and then move towards the trailing transmitter edge 416. Further, while the leading receiver edge 402 is moving towards the trailing transmitter edge 416, the trailing receiver edge 404 may cross the leading transmitter edge 414. Subsequently, the leading receiver edge 402 may align with the trailing transmitter edge 416 when the leading receiver edge 402 reaches the trailing transmitter edge 416. The alignment may be detected by the first transmitter sensor 112 of the wireless power transmitter 110. By way of an example, the alignment may be detected by the first transmitter sensor 112 after the EPV 102 is parked at the parking space. As already explained in FIG. 1, the wireless power receiver 104 is affixed beneath the floor of the EPV 102 and at a predefined distance from the ground, such that no other component of the EPV have the same distance from the ground (i.e., unique in its position with respect to the other components). Thus, the chances of considering other components instead of the wireless power receiver 104 for detecting alignment are low. The first transmitter sensor 112 only checks for an object (i.e., the wireless power receiver 104) at a specific distance from the wireless power transmitter 110. The specific distance may be the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver 104, as explained above (In FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the first transmitter sensor 112 may also indicate a driver about the alignment of the leading receiver edge 402 with the trailing transmitter edge 416 through a user interface or the infotainment system of the EPV 102, thereby prompting the user to stop moving the vehicle further in the forward direction.
[054] Upon detecting the alignment of the leading receiver edge 402 with the trailing transmitter edge 416, further, the length-wise distance calculations may be performed. The length-wise distance calculations and the length-wise alignment are illustrated in FIG. 4B. The wireless alignment controller 116 may calculate a length-wise distance to be moved by the wireless power transmitter 110 in order to align the width-wise axis 420 of the wireless power transmitter 110 with the width-wise axis 408 of the wireless power receiver 104. The length-wise distance to be moved is computed based on the length of the wireless power transmitter 110 and the length of the wireless power receiver 104. For example, consider that the length of the wireless power transmitter 110 is 605mm and the length of the wireless power receiver 104 is 570mm. In that case the lengthwise distance to be moved by the wireless power transmitter 110 may be 17.5mm (i.e., (605/2) – (570/2)). The alignment controller 116 may activate the alignment motor 118 to actuate the wireless power transmitter 110 to align the width-wise axis 420 of the transmitter with the width-wise 408 axis of the wireless power receiver 104. By a way of an example, the alignment motor 118 may move the wireless power transmitter 110 in a direction of the trailing transmitter edge 416 to align the width-wise axis 420 of the wireless power transmitter with the width-wise axis 408 of the wireless power receiver 104.
[055] Referring now to FIG. 4C, once the length-wise alignment is completed, i.e., the width-wise axis 420 of the transmitter is aligned with the width-wise axis 408 of the wireless power receiver 104, the alignment controller 116 may activate the alignment motor 118 to move the wireless power transmitter 110 in the direction of the second transmitter side edge 418B, as the second transmitter sensor 114 is placed on the center of the first transmitter side edge 418A. In case the second transmitter sensor 114 is placed on the center of the second transmitter side edge 418B, the wireless power transmitter 110 may be moved in the direction of the first transmitter side edge 418A. The alignment motor 118 may move the wireless power transmitter 110 till the first transmitter side edge 418A aligns with the first receiver side edge 406A of the wireless power receiver 104. It should be noted that the alignment motor 118 moves the wireless power transmitter 110 along the aligned width-wise axis 420 of transmitter and the width-wise axis 408 of the wireless power receiver 104.
[056] Referring now to FIG. 4D, once the alignment of side edges is determined, the alignment controller 116 may calculate a width-wise distance to be moved by the wireless power transmitter 110 in order to align the length-wise axis 422 of the wireless power transmitter 110 with the length-wise axis 410 of the wireless power receiver 104. The width-wise distance to be moved is computed based on the width of the wireless power transmitter 110 and the width of the wireless power receiver 104. For example, consider that the width of the wireless power transmitter 110 is 785mm and the width of the wireless power receiver 104 is 570mm. In that case the width-wise distance to be moved by the wireless power transmitter 110 may be 107.5mm (i.e., (785/2) – (570/2)). Further, the alignment controller 116 may activate the alignment motor 118 to actuate the wireless power transmitter 110 to align the length-wise axis 422 of the transmitter with the length-wise axis 410 of the wireless power receiver 104. It should be noted that upon aligning the length-wise axis of 422 of the wireless power transmitter 110 and the length-wise axis 410 of the wireless power receiver 104, the geometric center of the of 424 of the wireless power transmitter and the geometric center 412 of the wireless power receiver 104 also aligns automatically. By a way of an example, the alignment motor 118 may move the wireless power transmitter 110 in the direction of the placement of the second transmitter sensor 114 or in the direction of the first transmitter side edge 418A in such a way that the geometric center 424 of the of the wireless power transmitter 110 aligns with the geometric center 412 of the wireless power receiver 104. As a result, the wireless power transmitter 110 may be aligned with the wireless power receiver 104.
[057] Referring now to FIG. 5, a method of performing a width-wise alignment after a length-wise alignment of a wireless power transmitter (same as the wireless power transmitter 110) is depicted via a flowchart 500, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is explained in conjunction with FIGs. 1-4. It should be noted that each of the steps 502-508 of the method may be performed by an alignment controller (same as the alignment controller 116) and implemented by an alignment motor (similar to the alignment motor 118).
[058] At step 502, an alignment of at least a portion of a trailing edge (for example, the trailing transmitter edge 416) of the wireless power transmitter with at least a portion of a leading edge (for example, the leading receiver edge 402) of the wireless power receiver may be determined by a first transmitter sensor (such as the first transmitter sensor 112). Thereafter, at step 504, upon aligning the trailing edge of the wireless power transmitter with the leading edge of the wireless power receiver, a length-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter with the wireless power receiver may be performed based on the length of the wireless power receiver.
[059] At step 506, an alignment of at least a portion of a side edge (for example, the first transmitter side edge 418A) of the wireless power transmitter with at least a portion of a corresponding side edge (for example, the first receiver side edge 406A) of the wireless power receiver may be determined using a second transmitter sensor (such as the second transmitter sensor 114).
[060] At step 508, upon determining the alignment of the side edges, a width-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter with the wireless power receiver may be performed based on the width of the wireless power receiver. Further, upon execution of the step 508, a geometric centre (for example, the geometric centre 424) of the wireless power transmitter may align with the geometric centre (for example, the geometric centre 412) of the wireless power receiver. Hence, as a result of performing the steps 502-508, the wireless power transmitter may be aligned with the wireless power receiver. Thereafter, in some embodiments, a wireless charging of a battery (same as the battery 106) may be activated.
[061] Referring now to FIGs. 6A-6D, an exemplary scenario of performing a length-wise alignment after a width-wise algnment of a wireless power transmitter 110 with a wireless power receiver 104 is illustrated, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGs. 6A-6D are explained in conjunction with FIGs. 1-5. In an embodiment, the EPV 102 may be parked at the allocated space in a charging station over the wireless charger 108. The allocated space may be marked to guide parking of the EPV 102 over the wireless power transmitter 110 of the wireless charger 108. The parking of the EPV 102 may be manual or automatic based on the type of the EPV 102. In some embodiments, the wireless power transmitter 110 may be referred to as a transmitter and the wireless power receiver 104 may be referred to as a receiver.
[062] Further, the wireless power receiver 104 may include a leading receiver edge 602, a trailing receiver edge 604, a first receiver side edge 606A, a second receiver side edge 606B, a width-wise axis 608, a length-wise axis 610, and a geometric center 612. The wireless power transmitter 110 may include a leading transmitter edge 614, a trailing transmitter edge 616, a first transmitter side edge 618A, a second transmitter side edge 618B, a width-wise axis 620, a length-wise axis 622, and a geometric center 624. The first transmitter sensor 112 is fixed on center of the trailing edge 616 and the second transmitter sensor 114 is fixed on center of the first side edge 618A. In some embodiments, the second transmitter sensor 114 is fixed on center of the second side edge 618B of the wireless power transmitter 110.
[063] Referring to FIG. 6A, the EPV 102 may be parked in such a way that the leading receiver edge 602 of the wireless power receiver 104 may align with the trailing transmitter edge 616 of the wireless power transmitter 110. In the wireless power receiver 104, a forward edge may be the leading receiver edge 602 and a backward edge may be the trailing receiver edge 604. While entering the parking space, the EPV 102 may move from the leading transmitter edge 614 towards the trailing transmitter edge 616 of the wireless power transmitter 110. In particular, the leading receiver edge 602 of the wireless power receiver 104 may first cross the leading transmitter edge 614 and then move towards the trailing transmitter edge 616. Further, while the leading receiver edge 602 is moving towards the trailing transmitter edge 616, the trailing receiver edge 604 may cross the leading transmitter edge 614 a. Subsequently, the leading receiver edge 602 may align with the trailing transmitter edge 616 when the leading receiver edge 602 reaches the trailing transmitter edge 616. The alignment may be detected by the first transmitter sensor 112 of the wireless power transmitter 110. As already explained in FIG. 1, the wireless power receiver 104 is affixed beneath the floor of the EPV 102 and at a predefined distance from the ground, such that no other component of the EPV 102 have the same distance from the ground (i.e., unique in its position with respect to the other components). Thus, the chances of considering other components instead of the wireless power receiver 104 for detecting alignment are low. The first transmitter sensor 112 only checks for an object (i.e., the wireless power receiver 104) at a specific distance from the wireless power transmitter 110. The specific distance may be the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver 104, as explained above (in FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the first transmitter sensor 112 may also indicate a driver about the alignment of the leading receiver edge 602 with the trailing transmitter edge 616 through a user interface or the infotainment system of the EPV 102, thereby prompting the user to stop moving the vehicle further in the forward direction.
[064] Referring now to FIG. 6B, once the leading receiver edge 602 is aligned with the trailing transmitter edge 616, the alignment controller 116 may activate the alignment motor 118 to move the wireless power transmitter 110 in the direction of the second transmitter side edge 618B, as the second transmitter sensor 114 is placed on the center of the first transmitter side edge 618A. In case the second transmitter sensor 114 is placed on the center of the second transmitter side edge 618B, the wireless power transmitter 110 may be moved in the direction of the first transmitter side edge 618A. The alignment motor 118 may move the wireless power transmitter 110 till the first transmitter side edge 618A aligns with the first receiver side edge 606A of the wireless power receiver 104. . It should be noted that the alignment motor 118 moves the wireless power transmitter 110 along the width-wise axis 620 of transmitter and the width-wise axis 608 of the wireless power receiver 104, or the aligned leading receiver edge 602 and the trailing transmitter edge 616.
[065] Further, referring now to FIG. 6C, once the first receiver side edge 606A of the wireless power receiver 104 aligns with the first transmitter side edge 618A, the alignment controller 116 may calculate the width-wise distance to be moved by the wireless power transmitter 110 in order to align the length-wise axis 622 of the wireless power transmitter 110 with the length-wise axis 610 of the wireless power receiver 104. The width-wise distance to be moved is computed based on the width of the wireless power transmitter 110 and the width of the wireless power receiver 104. For example, consider that the width of the wireless power transmitter 110 is 785mm and the width of the wireless power receiver 104 is 570mm. In that case the width-wise distance to be moved by the wireless power transmitter 110 may be 107.5mm (i.e., (785/2) – (570/2)). Further, the alignment controller 116 may activate the alignment motor 118 to actuate the wireless power transmitter 110 to align the length-wise axis 622 of the wireless power transmitter 110 with the length-wise axis 610 of the wireless power receiver 104.
[066] In FIG. 6D, upon performing the width-wise alignment or aligning the length-wise axis 622 of the wireless power transmitter 110 with the length-wise axis 610 of the wireless power receiver 104, length-wise distance calculations may be performed. The alignment controller 116 may calculate a length-wise distance to be moved by the wireless power transmitter 110 in order to align the width-wise axis 620 of the wireless power transmitter 110 with the width-wise axis 608 of the wireless power receiver 104. The length-wise distance is computed based on the length of the wireless power transmitter 110 and the length of the wireless power receiver 104. For example, consider that the length of the wireless power transmitter 110 is 605mm and the length of the wireless power receiver 104 is 570mm. In that case, the length-wise distance to be moved by the wireless power transmitter 110 may be 17.5mm (i.e., (605/2) – (570/2)). Further, the alignment controller 116 may activate the alignment motor 118 to actuate the wireless power transmitter 110 to move in a direction of the trailing transmitter edge 616 to align the width-wise axis 620 of the wireless power transmitter with the width-wise axis 608 of the wireless power receiver 104. It should be noted that upon aligning the width-wise axis 620 of the wireless power transmitter 110 and the width-wise axis 608 of wireless power receiver 104, the geometric center 624 of the of wireless power transmitter 110 and the geometric center 612 of the of wireless power receiver 104 may also align automatically. By a way of an example, the alignment motor 118 may move the wireless power transmitter 110 in a direction of trailing transmitter edge 616 to align the width-wise axis 620 of the wireless power transmitter with the width-wise axis 608 of the wireless power receiver 104. It should be noted that the alignment motor 118 moves the wireless power transmitter 110 along the aligned width-wise axis 420 of the wireless power transmitter and the width-wise axis 608 of the wireless power receiver 104.
[067] Referring now to FIG. 7 a method of performing a length-wise alignment after a width-wise alignment of a wireless power transmitter (for example, the wireless power transmitter 110) is depicted via a flowchart 700, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is explained in conjunction with FIGs. 1-6. It should be noted that the steps 702-708 of the method may be performed by an alignment controller (such as the alignment controller 116) and implemented by an alignment motor (such as the alignment motor 118).
[068] At step 702, an alignment of at least a portion of a trailing edge (same as the trailing transmitter edge 616) of the wireless power transmitter with at least a portion of a leading edge (same as the leading receiver edge 602) of the wireless power receiver (for example the wireless power receiver 104) may be determined using a first transmitter sensor (such as the first transmitter sensor 110). Thereafter, at step 704, upon aligning the trailing edge of the transmitter with the leading edge of the receiver, an alignment of at least a portion of a side edge (for example, the first transmitter side edge 618A) of the wireless power transmitter with at least a portion of a corresponding side edge (for example, the first receiver side edge 606A) of the wireless power receiver may be determined using a second transmitter sensor (such as the second transmitter sensor 114).
[069] At step 706, once the side edges are aligned, a width-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter with the wireless power receiver may be performed based on the width of the wireless power receiver. Further, at step 708, a length-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter with the wireless power receiver may be performed based on the length of the wireless power receiver. As a result, a geometric centre (for example, the geometric centre 624) of wireless power transmitter may get aligned with a geometric centre (for example, the geometric centre 612) of the wireless power receiver. Upon aligning the wireless power transmitter with the wireless power receiver, in some embodiments, a wireless charging of a battery (such as the battery 106) may be activated.
[070] Thus, the disclosed method and system try to overcome the technical problems of charging EPVs wirelessly including misalignment of the wireless power receiver and the wireless power transmitter. Hereby, the disclosure solves the technical problem while offering a variety of advantages, such as, the disclosed wireless charging system and method may be designed in such a way that it may be implement with almost every type of EPVs. Further, the disclosed wireless charging system and method may ensure that the battery of the vehicle charges wirelessly without the need for power chords. In addition, the disclosed wireless charging system and method may automatically align the wireless power transmitter of the wireless charger and the wireless power receiver of the EPV so as maximum power can be transferred to the wireless power receiver. The disclosed wireless charging system and method provides a simple process of alignment for aligning the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver, since only power specifications and dimension information is required, and other components such as cameras, magnetic field sensors, or the like, are not required.
[071] Further, the disclosed wireless charging system and method may communicate with the EPV and notify the user of the battery state and the charging status. The wireless charging system may receive the EPV specification of the wireless power receiver. The wireless charging system may also help the driver in parking the EPV in the designated position over a wireless power transmitter of the wireless charger.
[072] In light of the above-mentioned advantages and the technical advancements provided by the disclosed method and system for performing wireless charging of an electrically powered vehicle, the claimed system and method as discussed above are not routine, conventional, or well understood in the art, as the claimed system and method enable the following solutions to the existing problems in conventional technologies. Further, the claimed system and method clearly bring an improvement in the functioning of the system itself as the claimed system and method provide a technical solution to a technical problem.
[073] The specification has described the method and system for performing wireless charging of an electrically powered vehicle. The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments.
[074] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
[075] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
[076] In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.
[077] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
, Claims:CLAIMS
I/We Claim:
1. A method (200) of performing a wireless charging of an electrically powered vehicle (EPV) (102), the method (200) comprising:
receiving, by an alignment controller (116) in a wireless charger (108) for the EPV (102), a specification of a wireless power receiver (104) of the EPV (102), wherein the specification indicates a width and a length of the wireless power receiver (104);
performing, by the alignment controller (116), an alignment of a wireless power transmitter (110) of the wireless charger (108) with respect to the wireless power receiver (104) so as to align a geometric center (424) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with a geometric center (412) of the wireless power receiver (104), wherein the alignment is performed by moving the wireless power transmitter (110) relative to the wireless power receiver (104) based on the width and the length of the wireless power receiver (104); and
activating, by the alignment controller (116), a wireless charging of a battery (106) of the EPV (102) upon performing the alignment of the wireless power transmitter (110) with respect to the wireless power receiver (104).

2. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein performing the alignment comprises:
determining, by the alignment controller (116) and via a first transmitter sensor (112), an alignment of at least a portion of a trailing edge (416) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with at least a portion of a leading edge (402) of the wireless power receiver (104).

3. The method (200) as claimed in claim 2, wherein performing the alignment comprises:
performing, by the alignment controller (116), a length-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter (110) with the wireless power receiver (104) based on the length of the wireless power receiver (104).

4. The method (200) as claimed in claim 3, wherein performing the length-wise alignment comprises:
moving, by the alignment controller (116), the wireless power transmitter (110) by a length-wise distance along a length of the wireless power transmitter (110) so as to align a width-wise axis (420) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with a width-wise axis (408) of the wireless power receiver (104), wherein the length-wise distance is computed based on the length of the wireless power transmitter (110) and the length of the wireless power receiver (104).

5. The method (200) as claimed in claim 2, wherein performing the alignment comprises:
determining, by the alignment controller (116) and via a second transmitter sensor (114), an alignment of at least a portion of a side edge (418A, 418B) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with at least a portion of a corresponding side edge (406A, 406B) of the wireless power receiver (104).

6. The method (200) as claimed in claim 5, wherein determining the alignment comprises:
performing, by the alignment controller (116), a width-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter (110) with the wireless power receiver (104) based on the width of the wireless power receiver (104).

7. The method (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein performing the width-wise alignment comprises:
moving, by the alignment controller (116), the wireless power transmitter (110) by a width-wise distance along a width of the wireless power transmitter (110) so as to align a length-wise axis (422) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with a length-wise axis (410) of the wireless power receiver (104), wherein the width-wise distance is computed based on the width of the wireless power transmitter (110) and the width of the wireless power receiver (104).

8. The method (200) as claimed in claim 3 and claim 6, wherein the width-wise alignment is performed upon the length-wise alignment, or the length-wise alignment is performed upon the width-wise alignment so as to align the geometric center (424) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with the geometric center (412) of the wireless power receiver (104).

9. The method (200) as claimed in claim 2 or claim 5, wherein the specification indicates a power rating of the wireless power receiver (104), wherein the power rating is indicative of a ground clearance of the wireless power receiver (104), and wherein determining the alignment of at least the portion of the trailing edge (416) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with at least the portion of the leading edge (402) of the wireless power receiver (104) is based on comparison between the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver (104) and a distance between the first transmitter sensor (112) and at least the portion of the leading edge (402) of the wireless power receiver (104), and wherein determining the alignment of at least the portion of the side edge (418A, 418B) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with at least the portion of the corresponding side edge (406A, 406B) of the wireless power receiver (104) is based on comparison between the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver (104) and a distance between the second transmitter sensor (114) and at least the portion of the corresponding side edge (406A, 406B) of the wireless power receiver (104).

10. A system (100) for performing a wireless charging of an electrically powered vehicle (EPV) (102), the system (100) comprising:
an alignment controller (116) configured to:
receive a specification of a wireless power receiver (104) of the EPV (102), wherein the specification indicates a width and a length of the wireless power receiver (102);
perform an alignment of a wireless power transmitter (110) of the wireless charger (108) with respect to the wireless power receiver (104) so as to align a geometric center (424) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with a geometric center (412) of the wireless power receiver (104), wherein the alignment is performed by moving the wireless power transmitter (110) relative to the wireless power receiver (104) based on the width and the length of the wireless power receiver (104); and
activate a wireless charging of a battery (106) of the EPV (102) upon performing the alignment of the wireless power transmitter (110) with respect to the wireless power receiver (104).

11. The system (100) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the alignment controller (116) is configured to:
determine, by a first transmitter sensor (112), an alignment of at least a portion of a trailing edge (416) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with at least a portion of a leading edge (402) of the wireless power receiver (104).

12. The system (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the alignment controller (116) is configured to:
perform a length-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter (110) with the wireless power receiver (104) based on the length of the wireless power receiver (104).

13. The system (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the alignment controller (116) is configured to:
move the wireless power transmitter (110) by a length-wise distance along a length of the wireless power transmitter (110) so as to align a width-wise axis (420) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with a width-wise axis (408) of the wireless power receiver (104), wherein the length-wise distance is computed based on the length of the wireless power transmitter (110) and the length of the wireless power receiver (104).

14. The system (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the alignment controller (116) is configured to:
determine, by a second transmitter sensor (114), an alignment of at least a portion of a side edge (418A, 418B) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with at least a portion of a corresponding side edge (406A, 406B) of the wireless power receiver (104).

15. The system (100) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the alignment controller (116) is configured to:
perform a width-wise alignment of the wireless power transmitter (110) with the wireless power receiver (104) based on the width of the wireless power receiver (104).

16. The system (100) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the alignment controller (116) is configured to:
move the wireless power transmitter (110) by a width-wise distance along a width of the wireless power transmitter (110) so as to align a length-wise axis (422) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with a length-wise axis (410) of the wireless power receiver (104), wherein the width-wise distance is computed based on the width of the wireless power transmitter (110) and the width of the wireless power receiver (104).

17. The system (100) as claimed in claim 12 and 15, wherein the alignment controller (116) is configured to:
perform the width-wise alignment upon the length-wise alignment, or the length-wise alignment upon the width-wise alignment so as to align the geometric center (424) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with the geometric center (412) of the wireless power receiver (104).
18. The system (100) as claimed in claim 11 and 14, wherein the specification indicates a power rating of the wireless power receiver (104), wherein the power rating is indicative of a ground clearance of the wireless power receiver (104), and wherein determining the alignment of at least the portion of the trailing edge (416) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with at least the portion of the leading edge (402) of the wireless power receiver (104) is based on comparison between the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver (104) and a distance between the first transmitter sensor (112) and at least the portion of the leading edge (402) of the wireless power receiver (104), and wherein determining the alignment of at least the portion of the side edge (418A, 418B) of the wireless power transmitter (110) with at least the portion of the corresponding side edge (406A, 406B) of the wireless power receiver (104) is based on comparison between the ground clearance of the wireless power receiver (104) and a distance between the second transmitter sensor (114) and at least the portion of the corresponding side edge (406A, 406B) of the wireless power receiver (104).