Integrated vehicle charging panel system and method of use

• US 10,093,195 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (Shanghai Anbin Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nio Usa Inc.
• Inventors: Ricci, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US15/198,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20170136892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/18 using bow-type collectors in contact with trolley wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/36 Single contact pieces along the line for power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/003 for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A system for vehicle charging comprising: an electrical storage unit disposed on a charge receiving vehicle; at least one integrated charging panel in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit, the at least one integrated charging panel configured to receive a charge at a charging site; a charge receiving vehicle controller configured to communicate with the charging site to determine a compatibility of the at least one integrated charging panel to receive charging from the charging site; wherein the at least one integrated charging panel receives a charge from the charging site wherein the charge receiving vehicle is charged.

Claims

1. A system for vehicle charging, the system comprising:

an electrical storage unit disposed on a charge receiving vehicle;

at least one integrated charging panel in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel is configured to receive a charge at a charging site, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel is configured to operate in a plurality of states including a retracted state and a deployed state, and wherein the at least one integrated charging panel conforms to an exterior surface shape of the charge receiving vehicle when in the retracted state; and

a charge receiving vehicle controller configured to communicate with the charging site to determine a compatibility of the at least one integrated charging panel to receive charging the charge from the charging site.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging site further comprises a charging plate configured to provide the charge to the at least one integrated charging panel.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the charging plate is configured to provide the charge to the at least one integrated charging panel via induction charging.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the charge receiving vehicle includes a vehicle database comprising charging compatibility data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel is disposed on the charge receiving vehicle at a vehicle location, the vehicle location including at least one of a door panel, a roof, a hatchback panel, a hood, a quarter panel, an undercarriage, or a bumper.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel is disposed on the charge receiving vehicle at a location other than an undercarriage of the charge receiving vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the charge receiving vehicle controller is configured to move the at least one integrated charging panel between the retracted state and the deployed state.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging site includes a charging plate configured to provide the charge to the at least one integrated charging panel, wherein an actuator is interconnected to the at least one integrated charging panel, actuator being configured to maneuver the at least one integrated charging panel relative to the charging plate.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising at least one range sensor interconnected to the at least one integrated charging panel, the at least one range sensor configured to measure a distance between the at least one integrated charging panel and the charging plate.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel is positioned at a selectable desired separation distance from the charging plate, and wherein the selectable desired separation distance is selected from a vehicle database.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the positioning of the selectable desired separation distance is performed automatically by actuation of the actuator.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the actuator is configured to move the at least one integrated charging panel in both a vertical and a lateral direction.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel includes a plurality of integrated charging panels.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of integrated charging panels is disposed on the charge receiving vehicle at a vehicle location including at least one of a door panel, a roof, a hatchback panel, a hood, a quarter panel, an undercarriage, or a bumper.

15. A method for charging a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, by a microprocessor, if charging of an electrical storage unit of a charge receiving vehicle is desired;

communicating with a charging site to determine a compatibility of at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle to receive charge from the charging site;

determining, by the microprocessor, a compatible charging configuration between the charge receiving vehicle and the charging site to enable charging of the charge receiving vehicle;

deploying, by the microprocessor, the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle to receive the charge from the charging site, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle is in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit of the charge receiving vehicle; and

retracting the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle to a retracted state, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel conforms to an exterior surface shape of the charge receiving vehicle when in the retracted state.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the charging site includes a charging plate configured to provide the charge to the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the charge is provided via induction charging.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle is disposed on the charge receiving vehicle at a vehicle location comprising a door panel, a roof, a hatchback panel, a hood, a quarter panel, an undercarriage and a bumper.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

positioning the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle at a selectable desired separation distance from the charging plate.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the selectable desired separation distance is selected from a vehicle database.