Tester for wireless electrified vehicle charger

• US 10,132,876 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bell, Christopher W., Gibeau, John Paul, Lathrop, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tang, Minh N
• Application Number:
  US14/675,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20160291095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/42 AC power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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

An exemplary assembly for testing a wireless charge transmit system includes a portable tester that is configured to mimic a vehicle mounted charge receive system and to wirelessly interface with a wireless charge transmit system. An exemplary method of testing a wireless charge transmit station for an electrified vehicle includes positioning a portable tester relative to the wireless charge transmit station, and using the portable tester to mimic an electrified vehicle interfacing with the wireless charge transmit station.

Claims

1. An assembly for testing a wireless charge transmit system, comprising:

a portable tester that is configured to mimic a vehicle mounted charge receive system and to wirelessly interface with a wireless charge transmit system, the wireless charge transmit system positioned to charge a battery of a vehicle that is parked above a transmit coil of the wireless charge transmit system.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising the wireless charge transmit system, wherein the wireless charge transmit system is not mounted to the vehicle, wherein the portable tester is not mounted to the vehicle.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the portable tester comprises a receiver coil to receive transmitted power from the wireless charge transmit system.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the portable tester comprises a load bank to dissipate power received from the wireless charge transmit system.

5. The assembly of claim 4, further comprising a vertical adjustment device to selectively adjust together a vertical position of both a load bank and a receiver coil of the portable tester relative to the wireless charge transmit system.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the portable tester comprises a radio frequency communication module to wirelessly communicate with the wireless charge transmit system and to receive commands from a remote control that is remote from the portable tester, the commands from the remote control causing the portable tester to change a position of a receiver coil of the portable tester relative to the transmit coil of the wireless charge transmit system.

7. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a vertical adjustment device to selectively adjust a vertical position of a receiver coil of the portable tester relative to the wireless charge transmit system.

8. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a horizontal adjustment device selectively adjust a horizontal position of a receiver coil of the portable tester relative to the wireless charger transmit system.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the portable tester comprises at least:

a receiver coil to receive transmitted power from the wireless charge transmit system;

a load bank to dissipate power received from the wireless charge transmit system;

a radio frequency communication module to wirelessly communicate with the wireless charge transmit system; and

an adjustment device to selectively position at least the receiver coil relative to a transmit coil of the wireless charge transmit system.

10. The assembly of claim 9, further comprising a vertical adjustment device of the adjustment device, the vertical adjustment device configured to selectively adjust together a vertical position of the load bank, the receiver coil, and the radio frequency communication module relative to the wireless charge transmit station, the load bank including an array of resistors.

11. A method of testing a wireless charge transmit station for an electrified vehicle, comprising:

positioning a portable tester relative to the wireless charge transmit station, the wireless charge transmit station located such that the wireless charge transmit station is positioned to charge an electrified vehicle parked above a transmit coil of the wireless charge transmit station; and

using the portable tester to mimic the electrified vehicle interfacing with the wireless charge transmit station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the portable tester is detached from the electrified vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising dissipating power received from the wireless charge transmit station into a load bank of the portable tester during the using.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising actuating a vertical adjustment device of the portable tester to vertically position both the load bank and a receiver coil of the portable tester relative to the wireless charge transmit station during the positioning.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising wirelessly communicating with the wireless charge transmit station using the portable tester, wireless communicating with the wireless charge transmit station using a remote control that is remote from the portable tester, and changing a position of a receiver coil of the portable tester relative to the wireless charge transmit station in response to wireless communications initiated from the remote control.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising actuating a vertical adjustment device of the portable tester to vertically position a receiver coil of the portable tester relative to the wireless charge transmit station during the positioning.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising actuating a horizontal adjustment device of the portable tester to horizontally position a receiver coil of the portable tester relative to the wireless charge transmit station during the positioning.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the using of the portable tester comprises at least:

receiving power transmitted from the wireless charge transmit station;

dissipating power received from the wireless charge transmit station;

wirelessly communicating commands to the wireless charge transmit station from a location that is remote from the portable tester and the wireless charge transmit system; and

manipulating an adjustment device to position at least a receiver coil of the portable tester relative to a transmit coil of the wireless charge transmit system in response to the commands.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising operating the portable tester using a remote control during a test procedure, such that the test procedure can be controlled from a location that is remote from the portable tester.

20. A method of testing a wireless charge transmit station for an electrified vehicle, comprising:

positioning a portable tester relative to the wireless charge transmit station, the wireless charge transmit station located in a position where the wireless charge transmit station is positioned to charge an electrified vehicle parked above a transmit coil of the wireless charge transmit station; and

using the portable tester to mimic the electrified vehicle interfacing with the wireless charge transmit station; and

without moving the wireless charge transmit station, repositioning the portable tester away from the wireless charge transmit station and positioning the electrified vehicle over the wireless charge transmit station so that the transmit coil is positioned to transmit power to the electrified vehicle.