Ultrasonic charge port detector

• US 10,042,053 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faraday & Future Inc.
• Original Assignee: Faraday & Future Inc.
• Inventors: Slindee, Richard Edward, Pederson, Mitchell Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Baghdasaryan, Hovhannes
• Application Number:
  US15/246,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20180059242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/186 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A charge port detector system may include a charger arm, a set of ultrasonic sensors carried by the charger arm, and one or more physical processors. The set of ultrasonic sensors may receive ultrasonic signals from one or more ultrasonic emitters of a charging target. Times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals may be obtained. The charger arm may be moved based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals. The movement of the charger arm may align the charger arm to a charge port of the charging target.

Claims

1. A charge port detector system comprising:

a charger arm;

a set of ultrasonic sensors carried by the charger arm, the set of ultrasonic sensors configured to receive ultrasonic signals from an ultrasonic emitter of a charging target, the set of ultrasonic sensors including a first ultrasonic sensor, a second ultrasonic sensor, and a third ultrasonic sensor, wherein the first, second, and third ultrasonic sensors are separated from each other by a distance; and

one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

obtain times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals; and

effectuate the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals, the movement of the charger arm aligning the charger arm to a charge port of the charging target.

2. The charge port detector system of claim 1, wherein the set of ultrasonic sensors is arranged in an L configuration.

3. The charge port detector system of claim 1, wherein the set of ultrasonic sensors generates analog response signals in response to receiving the ultrasonic signals.

4. The charge port detector system of claim 3, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the analog response signals to digital response signals.

5. The charge port detector system of claim 4, wherein the analog-to-digital converter includes a Schmitt trigger.

6. The charge port detector system of claim 1, wherein effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals includes:

comparing the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals;

determining which of the first ultrasonic sensor, the second ultrasonic sensor, and the third ultrasonic first received the ultrasonic signals; and

effectuating the movement of the charger arm in a direction of at least one of the first ultrasonic sensor, the second ultrasonic sensor, and the third ultrasonic sensor that first received the ultrasonic signals.

7. The charge port detector system of claim 1, wherein effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals includes:

effectuating the movement of the charger arm along a lateral axis based on the times at which the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor received the ultrasonic signals; and

effectuating the movement of the charger arm along a vertical axis based on the times at which the first ultrasonic sensor and the third ultrasonic sensor received the ultrasonic signals.

8. The charge port detector system of claim 1, wherein effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals includes:

determining a distance to the ultrasonic emitter based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals; and

effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the distance.

9. The charge port detector system of claim 1, wherein effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals includes:

determining a relative location of the charge port relative to the charger arm; and

effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the relative location.

10. The charge port detector system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to effectuate the movement of the charger arm along a longitudinal axis based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals, the movement of the charger arm along the longitudinal axis mating the charger arm with the charge port of the charging target.

11. The charge port detector system of claim 1, wherein the charging target includes a vehicle.

12. A charge port detection method comprising:

receiving ultrasonic signals from an ultrasonic emitter of a charging target, the ultrasonic signals received by a set of ultrasonic sensors carried by a charger arm, the set of ultrasonic sensors including a first ultrasonic sensor, a second ultrasonic sensor, and a third ultrasonic sensor, wherein the first, second, and third ultrasonic sensors are separated from each other by a distance;

obtaining times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals; and

effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals, the movement of the charger arm aligning the charger arm to a charge port of the charging target.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals includes:

comparing the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals;

determining which of the first ultrasonic sensor, the second ultrasonic sensor, and the third ultrasonic first received the ultrasonic signals; and

effectuating the movement of the charger arm in a direction of at least one of the first ultrasonic sensor, the second ultrasonic sensor, and the third ultrasonic sensor that first received the ultrasonic signals.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals includes:

effectuating the movement of the charger arm along a lateral axis based on the times at which the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor received the ultrasonic signals; and

effectuating the movement of the charger arm along a vertical axis based on the times at which the first ultrasonic sensor and the third ultrasonic sensor received the ultrasonic signals.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals includes:

determining a distance to the ultrasonic emitter based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals; and

effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the distance.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals includes:

determining a relative location of the charge port relative to the charger arm; and

effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the relative location.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

effectuating the movement of the charger arm along a longitudinal axis based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals, the movement of the charger arm along the longitudinal axis mating the charger arm with the charge port of the charging target.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the charging target includes a vehicle.

19. A vehicle charge port detector system comprising:

an ultrasonic emitter carried by a vehicle;

a charge port carried by the vehicle;

a charger arm;

a set of ultrasonic sensors carried by the charger arm, the set of ultrasonic sensors configured to receive ultrasonic signals from the ultrasonic emitter of the vehicle, the set of ultrasonic sensors including a first ultrasonic sensor, a second ultrasonic sensor, and a third ultrasonic sensor, wherein the first, second, and third ultrasonic sensors are separated from each other by a distance; and

one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

obtain times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals; and

effectuate the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals, the movement of the charger arm aligning the charger arm to the charge port of the vehicle.

20. The vehicle charge port detector system of claim 19, wherein effectuating the movement of the charger arm based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals includes:

effectuating the movement of the charger arm along a lateral axis based on the times at which the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor received the ultrasonic signals; and

effectuating the movement of the charger arm along a vertical axis based on the times at which the first ultrasonic sensor and the third ultrasonic sensor received the ultrasonic signals.