ENERGY TRANSFER WITH VEHICLES

• US 20110298422A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bryan Marc Failing
• Original Assignee: Bryan Marc Failing
• Inventors: Failing, Bryan Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,841,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/041 Means for supplying power to the signal- transmitting means on the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 : Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 : using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 : of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 : involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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 7/00034 : Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 : Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A method, computer-readable medium, system, and apparatus for improving energy transfer with a vehicle are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of managing at least one transfer of energy, said method comprising:

determining a plurality of interfaces operable to transfer energy between a vehicle and an energy transfer system;

determining a selection associated with an interface of said plurality of interfaces; and

generating a request to perform, using said interface, an energy transfer between said vehicle and said energy transfer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said interface utilizes a first type of energy transfer, and wherein another interface of said plurality of interfaces utilizes a second type of energy transfer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing, using said interface, said energy transfer between said vehicle and said energy transfer system; and

communicating data, over said interface, between said vehicle and said energy transfer system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection is a user selection input via a user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection is an automated selection performed by a component selected from a group consisting of a component of said energy transfer system and a component of said vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a problem with another interface of said plurality of interfaces; and

determining said interface to perform said energy transfer in lieu of said another interface.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an interrupt responsive to performance of said energy transfer using said interface;

determining another interface as an alternative to said interface;

confirming an operability of said another interface; and

resuming said energy transfer using said another interface.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to detecting that an energy transfer component is in position to enable said energy transfer, activating said interface to enable said energy transfer via said energy transfer component; and

responsive to detecting that said energy transfer component is out of position to enable said energy transfer, deactivating said interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said energy transfer component is coupled with a wheel of said vehicle, wherein said detecting that said energy transfer component is in position to enable said energy transfer further comprises detecting that said energy transfer component is less than a predetermined distance from a surface of a road, and wherein said detecting that said energy transfer component out of position to enable said energy transfer further comprises detecting that said energy transfer component is greater than said predetermined distance from said surface of said road.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said energy transfer component is located remotely from said vehicle, wherein said detecting that said energy transfer component is in position to enable said energy transfer further comprises detecting that said energy transfer component is less than a predetermined distance from said vehicle, and wherein said detecting that said energy transfer component out of position to enable said energy transfer further comprises detecting that said energy transfer component is greater than said predetermined distance from said vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a position of said vehicle using a component selected from a group consisting of a position detection component and an energy transfer component; and

determining said plurality of interfaces based on said position of said vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said vehicle is selected from a group consisting of a vehicle with at least one wheel, a vehicle configured to move on at least one rail, a boat, and an aircraft.

13. A wheel comprising:

a first portion operable to accept at least one energy transfer component; and

a second portion operable to accept at least one interface, wherein said at least one energy transfer component and said at least one interface are operable to transfer energy between a vehicle and an energy transfer system.

14. The wheel of claim 13 further comprising:

said at least one energy transfer component; and

said at least one interface coupled to said at least one energy transfer component.

15. The wheel of claim 13, wherein each of said at least one energy transfer component is selected from a group consisting of a plug, a receptacle, a coil, and a wireless energy transmission component.

16. The wheel of claim 13 further comprising:

at least one feature operable to direct air over a surface of said wheel and remove heat generated by said at least one energy transfer component.

17. The wheel of claim 13 further comprising:

a component operable to convert heat generated by said at least one energy transfer component into electrical energy.

18. A tire comprising:

at least one energy transfer component; and

at least one interface coupled to said at least one energy transfer component, wherein said at least one energy transfer component and said at least one interface are operable to transfer energy between a vehicle and an energy transfer system.

19. The tire of claim 18, wherein said at least one energy transfer component and said at least one interface are at least partially disposed in a portion of said tire.

20. The tire of claim 18 further comprising:

at least one electrical contact coupled to said at least one interface, wherein said at least one electrical contact is disposed in a portion of said tire operable to interface with a surface of a wheel.

21. The tire of claim 18, wherein each of said at least one energy transfer component is selected from a group consisting of a plug, a receptacle, a coil, and a wireless energy transmission component.

22. The tire of claim 18 further comprising:

a component operable to convert heat generated by said at least one energy transfer component into electrical energy.

23. A vehicle comprising:

a first component comprising a first member and a second member, wherein said first and second members are operable to rotate with respect to one another, and wherein said first component is configured to enable a flow of electricity between said first and second members;

an interface coupled to said first component, wherein said interface is operable to transfer energy, via said first component, between a second component of said vehicle and an energy transfer system located remotely from vehicle.

24. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said first component is a slip ring.

25. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said first component is coupled with a wheel bearing assembly of said vehicle.

26. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said first component is integrated with a wheel bearing assembly of said vehicle.

27. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said second component is an energy storage component of said vehicle.

28. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said interface comprises an energy transfer component mounted to a wheel of said vehicle.

29. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein said interface comprises an energy transfer component disposed in a tire of said vehicle.