VEHICLE BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140239891A1
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MARTIN, Douglas Raymond, LAVOIE, Erick Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,773,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• 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 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle includes a battery and a charge plate electrically connected with the battery. The vehicle also includes a control system that causes an association signal to be repeatedly transmitted during a battery charge procedure to maintain charging of the battery via the charge plate, and in response to an object being detected in the vicinity or predicted to enter the vicinity of the charge plate, causes the transmission of the association signal to be interrupted to stop charging of the battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a battery;

a charge plate electrically connected with the battery; and

at least one controller programmed to repeatedly transmit an association signal for a charge station during a battery charge procedure such that charging of the battery via the charge plate is maintained, and in response to an object entering a vicinity of the charge plate, interrupt transmission of the association signal to stop the charging.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to interrupt transmission of the association signal before the object enters the vicinity based on a predicted trajectory of the object.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to interrupt transmission of the association signal based on a classification of the object.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the classification defines a sensitivity of the object to energy associated with an electromagnetic field emanating from the charge plate.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the classification is based on a change in temperature of the object when in the vicinity.

6. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the predicted trajectory is based on wind or ground slope near the vicinity.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the charging is performed when the vehicle is on a roadway.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to, in response to the object entering the vicinity, transmit a signal to de-energize the charge plate.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to, in response to the object entering the vicinity, generate an alert.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a battery;

a charge plate electrically connected with the battery; and

at least one controller programmed to transmit an association signal to a charge system such that the charge system provides energy for the battery via the charge plate, and to transmit a halt signal in response to an object entering a vicinity of the charge plate such that the charge system stops providing energy for the battery via the charge plate.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to transmit the halt signal before the object enters the vicinity based on a predicted trajectory of the object.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to output a clearance signal in response to the object exiting the vicinity such that the charge system resumes providing energy for the battery via the charge plate.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to resume transmission of the association signal after outputting the clearance signal such that the charge system resumes providing energy for the battery via the charge plate.

14. A method for charging a vehicle battery comprising:

transmitting an association signal to a charge system such that the charge system provides energy for the battery via a charge plate;

outputting a detection signal in response to an object being detected within or predicted to enter a vicinity of the charge plate such that the charge system stops providing the energy; and

outputting a clearance signal after the detection signal in response to the object exiting the vicinity such that the charge system resumes providing the energy.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the vicinity of the charge plate is defined by a perimeter of the charge plate.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the prediction is based on wind or ground slope near the vicinity.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the detection signal includes data indicative of a sensitivity of the object to the energy.