SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRANSFERRING ELECTRICAL ENERGY BETWEEN VEHICLES

• US 20140088804A1
• Filed: 09/24/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,407,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 50/80 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 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• 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

Motor vehicles may need to exchange electrical energy. At least one vehicle may determine a target charge state. The vehicle may then identify another vehicle with which to exchange energy. The vehicles may negotiate a quantity to be transferred, transfer parameters for the exchange, and/or the like. The vehicles may be in a common fleet or an affinity group. A central location may facilitate the identification and/or negotiation process. The transfer may be monitored and may be controlled based on monitoring data collected. The transfer may be wired or wireless, and the vehicles may be stationary or in motion during the transfer. The vehicles may be, among others, pure electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and/or fuel cell vehicles.

Claims

1. A system for transferring electrical energy between motor vehicles, the system comprising:

a target determination subsystem configured to determine a target charge state for a first vehicle;

a source identification subsystem configured to identify a second vehicle with excess electrical energy; and

a transfer subsystem configured to transfer a quantity of electrical energy from the second vehicle to achieve the target charge state of the first vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second vehicles are in a common fleet or affinity group.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the target determination subsystem is configured to determine a target charge state by determining a distance to be travelled by the first vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the target determination subsystem is configured to determine a target charge state by determining a distance to a next charging stop along a projected route where additional electrical energy is available for transfer to the first vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the target determination subsystem is further configured to receive from a central location an indication of the distance to the next charging stop.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the target determination subsystem is configured to determine a target charge state by receiving an indication of the target charge state from a central location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the target determination subsystem is configured to determine a target charge state by performing an initial step of reporting status data to the central location.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the target determination subsystem is configured to report status data selected from the group consisting of location data, route, traffic conditions, stops completed, stops remaining, energy remaining, and average energy usage.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the target determination subsystem is configured to determine a target charge state by receiving user input.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the target determination subsystem is configured to determine a target charge state by receiving user input including an anticipated destination.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the target determination subsystem is configured to determine a target charge state by receiving user input including an anticipated route.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the target determination subsystem is configured to determine a target charge state by accessing a travel itinerary from a remote location.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the target determination subsystem is further configured to determine the quantity of electrical energy to transfer.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the target determination subsystem is configured to determine the quantity by:

calculating an amount of energy required to reach the target charge state; and

calculating an amount of energy expected to be lost during transfer.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the target determination subsystem is further configured to calculate a transfer rate and a transfer time required to reach the target charge state.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the source identification subsystem is configured to identify the second vehicle by receiving an indication of the second vehicle from a central location.

59. The system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring subsystem configured to determine a final charge state for at least one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the source identification subsystem is further configured to report the final charge state to a central location.

61. The system of claim 1, wherein the source identification subsystem is further configured to report at least one of the quantity of electrical energy transferred, an identification indicator for the first vehicle, an identification indicator for the second vehicle, and a time stamp to a central location.

3. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

16-17. -17. (canceled)

21-58. -58. (canceled)

62-87. -87. (canceled)

88. A system for transferring electrical energy between motor vehicles affiliated with one or more particular affinity groups, the system comprising:

a communication subsystem configured to receive at a first vehicle a request from a second vehicle for excess electrical energy;

an authorization subsystem configured to determine whether the second vehicle is affiliated with the one or more particular affinity groups; and

a transfer subsystem configured to transfer a quantity of electrical energy from the first vehicle to the second vehicle if the second vehicle is affiliated with the one or more particular affinity groups.

89-118. -118. (canceled)

119. A method of transferring electrical energy between motor vehicles, the method comprising:

determining a target charge state for a first vehicle;

identifying a second vehicle with excess electrical energy; and

transferring a quantity of electrical energy from the second vehicle to achieve the target charge state of the first vehicle.

185. The method of claim 119, wherein transferring the quantity of electrical energy comprises transferring the quantity of electrical energy while the vehicles are stationary.

187. The method of claim 119, wherein transferring the quantity of electrical energy comprises transferring the quantity of electrical energy while the vehicles are in motion.

190. The method of claim 187, wherein transferring the quantity of electrical energy further comprises positioning a transfer mechanism with robotic controls.

191. The method of claim 187, wherein transferring the quantity of electrical energy further comprises aligning a transfer mechanism with the second vehicle.

193. The method of claim 191, wherein transferring the quantity of electrical energy further comprises controlling driving of the first vehicle based on commands received from the second vehicle.

194. The method of claim 191, wherein aligning a transfer mechanism comprises gathering sensor data from an alignment sensor.

195. The method of claim 194, wherein aligning a transfer mechanism further comprises displaying the sensor data to a user.

196. The method of claim 194, wherein aligning a transfer mechanism further comprises controlling driving of the first vehicle based on the sensor data.

197. The method of claim 119, wherein transferring the quantity of electrical energy comprises wirelessly transferring the quantity of electrical energy.

198. The method of claim 197, wherein wirelessly transferring the quantity of electrical energy comprises using a transfer mechanism selected from the group consisting of an inductive transfer mechanism, a radio frequency waves transfer mechanism, and an optical transfer mechanism.

199. The method of claim 119, wherein transferring comprises transferring the quantity of electrical energy using a transfer line.

200. The method of claim 199, wherein transferring the quantity of electrical energy comprises transferring the quantity of electrical energy using a transfer line including an optical fiber.

204. The method of claim 199, wherein transferring the quantity of electrical energy comprises coupling the transfer line magnetically to the second vehicle.

120-184. -184. (canceled)

186. (canceled)

188-189. -189. (canceled)

192. (canceled)

201-203. -203. (canceled)

205-236. -236. (canceled)