System and method for charging or powering devices, including mobile devices, machines or equipment

• US 10,367,369 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mojo Mobility, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mojo Mobility, Inc.
• Inventors: Partovi, Afshin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun J
• Application Number:
  US15/650,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20190020210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 744 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• 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 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00032 characterised by data exchange
• 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: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 : Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 : Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 : Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 : Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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

Abstract

In accordance with various embodiments, described herein are systems and methods for enabling efficient wireless power transfer and charging of devices and/or batteries, including in some embodiments freedom of placement of the devices and/or the batteries in one or multiple (e.g. one, two or three) dimensions, and/or improved features including ease of use and compatibility. Exemplary applications include beam inductive or magnetic charging and power for use in, e.g., mobile, electronic, electric, lighting or other devices, machines, batteries, power tools, kitchen, military, medical, industrial tools or systems, robots, trains, buses, trucks and/or vehicles, and other environments.

Claims

1. A system for charging of one or more devices, including robots, vehicles, or batteries, the system comprising:

a wireless charger that comprises a charger coil, an optional receiver that includes a receiver coil, and an optional wired charger, for charging one or more devices, including robots, vehicles, or batteries, the wireless charger and the optional wired charger using respectively wireless and wired means of communication with the devices to initial and control a charging process,

wherein the wireless and the wired charger and/or the device can communicate with a local area, wide area, cellular, satellite, fiber, DSL or other wireless or wired network, to exchange information remotely regarding the charging of the one or more devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the charger coil and the receiver coil and magnetic axes are crossed to provide overlap of some portion of the charger coil and the receiver coil and the magnetic axes over a wide range of x and y axes, allowing for a degree of positioning tolerance.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein an electromagnetic emission from the charger coil is generally contained to a location where the receiver coil is in alignment with.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein wireless communication between the wireless charger and the devices uses Near Field Communication, Bluetooth, WiFi, wireless USB, Felica, Zigbee, Wireless Gigabit, DSRC, RFID, WPC, or other custom communication technology.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system performs transferring power to allow charging of a moving device, including use of one or more charger coils along a length upon which the moving device to be powered or to be charged can move.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a magnetic field build-up between the charger coil and the receiver coil at any particular location allows a change in properties of a magnetic material to allow more efficient of power transfer from the charger coil to the receiver coils.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless charger performs transferring power to the one or more devices being charged at a variety of positions by the charger coil.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the devices comprising one or more of a mobile, electronic, electric, lighting, battery, power tool, drone, kitchen, military, medical, industrial tools or other device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the devices comprising one or more electric vehicle, robot, train, bus, truck, electric bicycle, motorcycle, Segway type of device and/or other electric vehicles or other moving equipment.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a communication between the charger coil and the receiver coil can follow one or a number of protocols, including in the case of an electric vehicle including a wireless charging specific or automotive-specific procedures or protocols including DSRC.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein approaching a device having a receiver, including a vehicle or system or robot to be charged, has been detected and verified through a communication such as RFID, Bluetooth, WiFi, Wireless USB, NFC, Felica, Zigbee, Wireless Gigabit (WiGig), WPC, A4WP, DSRC, or a ping or other communication is communicated from the charger coil to energize and power a wireless receiver circuit in the device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the charger and the device can communicate information including one or more output voltage, current, power, device or battery status, validation ID for a device, end of charge or various charge status information, and/or user data comprising information about a user, verification of ability to account and charge a customer for a charging/power service, or other data that can be used to perform system or firmware updates, diagnostics, billing or other tasks.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein initiation of wireless charging can be signaled to a device included in a vehicle by providing a visual signal and/or an auditory signal to a user thereby disabling the device or vehicle movement during charge, or other actions.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein initiation of charging of the device included in a vehicle or the vehicle itself can include billing/tolling of the electricity used during charging in public locations including public or office parking garage/lots, hotel, restaurant, roadway or other structures.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the charger, a device or a vehicle communicates with an owner of the vehicle or a designated person by text, email, telephone message, custom application or other means of communication about a state of charging of the device or the vehicle, error conditions or other important information.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the charger, device, or vehicle being charged can also be programmed to contact utility service providers and optimize a charge commencement time and/or a termination time or a charge rate for an optimum network load, a minimum electricity cost or other desirable performance attributes.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein once a rough or approximate alignment is reached between the charger and the one or more devices a wireless communication link between the charger and the one or more devices can be established and diagnostic tests, verifications or other actions performed.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein a proximity sensor including a capacitive, resistive, laser or diode or rangefinder, optical, thermal, photocell, radar, sonar, ultrasonic, weight or cameras or infrared sensors or other method of detection can be used to determine a presence of a live animal or a person in a region of high magnetic field close to the charger coil or between the charger coil and receiver coil in the one or more devices and take an appropriate action.

19. A method for wireless and/or optionally wired charging of one or more devices, including robots, vehicles or batteries, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a wireless charger including a charger coil, an optional receiver including a receiver coil and an optional wired charger, for charging one or more devices, including robots vehicles, or batteries, the wireless charger and the optional wired charger using respectively wireless and wired means of communication with the devices to initial and control a charging process,

wherein the wireless and the wired charger and/or the device can communicate with a local area, wide area, cellular, satellite, fiber, DSL or other wireless or wired network, to exchange information remotely regarding the charging of the one or more devices.