DETACHABLE CHARGING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20150123598A1
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amphenol Tecvox, Llc (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Amphenol Tecvox, Llc (Amphenol Corporation)
• Inventors: TEW, Kum W., WORLEY, Jason A., JOSE, Jomy
• Granted Patent: US 9,559,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• 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

Abstract

A detachable charging system for a vehicle including an interface device that receives power from the vehicle and outputs the power to a detachable charging unit that detachably couples with and electrically connects to the interface device. The detachable charging unit includes a power storage device. The detachable charging unit outputs power stored in the power storage device to a mobile device when the charging unit is detached from the interface device. The detachable charging unit outputs power received from the interface device and/or stored in the power storage device to the mobile device when the charging unit is electrically connected to the interface device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an interface device configured to receive power from an electric system of a vehicle; and

a detachable charging unit configured to detachably couple with and electrically connect with the interface device, the detachable charging unit comprising;

a docking port configured to receive power from the interface device;

a power storage device configured to store the power received from the interface device; and

a mobile device port configured to output the power stored in the power storage device to a mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detachable charging unit is configured to output the power stored in the power storage device to the mobile device when the detachable charging unit is electrically disconnected from the interface device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the detachable charging unit is configured to store power in the power storage device when the detachable charging unit is electrically disconnected from the interface device

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the detachable charging unit is further configured to output the power received from the interface device to the mobile device when the detachable charging unit is electrically connected to the interface device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface device comprises a charging unit port configured to output the power received from the electric system of the vehicle to the docking port of the detachable charging unit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the interface device further comprises a charging unit compartment configured to physically receive the detachable charging unit and the charging unit port of the interface device is configured to electrically connect with the docking port of the detachable charging unit when the detachable charging unit is physically received by the charging unit compartment of the interface device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface device is further configured to send and receive data to and from an electronic system of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the interface device is further configured to send and receive data to and from the charging unit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the charging unit is further configured to send and receive data to and from the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein system is configured to receive an audio signal from the mobile device and output the audio signal to the electronic system of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging unit further comprises a charging unit management system configured to control the charging of the power storage device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the charging unit management system is configured to determine whether the power storage device is fully charged and interrupt a flow of power to the power storage device in response to a determination that the power storage device is fully charged.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the charging unit management system is configured to determine a temperature of the power storage device and interrupt a flow of power to the power storage device in response to a determination that the temperature of the power storage device is outside a predetermined range.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging unit further comprises a visual indicator.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the visual indicator is configured to output a visual indication indicative of an amount of charge of the power storage device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the visual indicator is configured to output a visual indication indicative of an amount of charge of a battery of the mobile device.

17. A method of outputting power from a vehicle to a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, by an interface device, power from an electric system of the vehicle

outputting, by the interface device, the power received from the electric system of the vehicle to a detachable charging unit configured to detachably couple with and electrically connect with the interface device;

storing, by the detachable charging unit, the power received from the interface device in a power storage device;

outputting, by the detachable charging unit, the power stored in the power storage device to a mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein outputting the power stored in the power storage device to the mobile device by the detachable charging unit comprises outputting the power stored in the power storage device to the mobile device by the detachable charging unit when the when the detachable charging unit is electrically disconnected from the interface device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

outputting, by the detachable charging unit, the power received from the interface device to the mobile device when the detachable charging unit is electrically connected to the interface device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the detachable charging unit, data from the mobile device;

outputting, by the detachable charging unit, the data received from the mobile device to the interface device;

outputting, by the interface device, the data received from the detachable charging unit to an electronic system of the vehicle.