BASE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK FOR DYNAMIC WIRELESS CHARGING

• US 20150298559A1
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Keeling, Nicholas Athol, Huang, Chang-Yu, Kissin, Michael Le Gallais, Beaver, Jonathan, Budhia, Mickel Bipin, Camasca Ramirez, Claudio Armando
• Granted Patent: US 9,511,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 53/39 with position-responsive activation of primary coils
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/36 Single contact pieces along the line for power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/003 for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/006 for auto-scooters or the like, the power being supplied over a broad surface
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• 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
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Dynamic systems may require a large number of coils (charging pads) which may be installed into the roadway to wirelessly provide power to electric vehicles as they are traveling along the roadway. The current in each of these coils may need to be turned on and off as a vehicle drives over the coils in order to efficiently utilize power and properly convey power to the passing vehicles. The supply network behind these coils may need to be capable of managing the individual coils with minimal infrastructure and cost as well as be capable of distributing the required power from the power grid to these pads efficiently and safely. The supply network may include charging coils, switches, local controllers, and distribution circuitry within a modular element, which may receive power from external sources and may be controlled by a central controller.

Claims

1. A device for distributing power, the device comprising:

a first set of charging coils configured to provide wireless power;

a first set of switches configured to selectively control power to the first set of charging coils;

a second set of charging coils configured to provide wireless power;

a second set of switches configured to selectively control power to the second set of charging coils; and

a control unit configured to control the first and second sets of switches, the first and second sets of charging coils being interleaved, and the first set of switches being configured to respectively couple one charging coil of the first set of charging coils to the control unit and the second set of switches being configured to respectively couple one charging coil of the second set of charging coils to the control unit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to couple to a power source via a plurality of power paths, wherein a first power path is coupled to the first set of switches and a second power path is coupled to the second set of switches.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising an inverter configured to generate a current and a backbone configured to provide the generated current to the control unit.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second sets of switches and the control unit is further configured to limit a phase of a current flow through a charging coil to be one of zero or 180 degrees.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the control unit receives a current from the power source and distributes the current to the first and second sets of switches via the first and second power paths.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to receive a control signal from a system controller and activate at least one of the switches of the first or second sets of switches based on the control signal.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to distribute power to one charging coil via each of the first and second power paths at a moment in time.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure, wherein the first and second sets of charging coils, the control unit, and the first and second sets of switches are enclosed within the enclosure, and wherein the enclosure, the first and second sets of charging coils, the control unit, and the first and second sets of switches form a modular device.

9. The device of claim 1, the control unit further configured to activate one charging coil of the first set of charging coils and one charging coil of the second set of charging coils at the same time.

10. A method for distributing power, the method comprising:

selectively coupling one charging coil of a first set of charging coils to a control unit via a first set of switches, the charging coils configured to provide wireless power;

selectively coupling one charging coil of a second set of charging coils to the control unit via a second set of switches; and

generating, via the one charging coil of the first set of charging coils and the one charging coil of the second set of charging coils, wireless fields to distribute power, the first and second sets of charging coils being interleaved.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a control signal from a system controller and selectively coupling one charging coil of the first set of charging coils to the control unit based on the control signal.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a current from a power source; and

coupling the current to the first and second sets of switches via a first power path and second power path, wherein the first power path couples the power source to the first set of switches and the second power path couples the power source to the second set of switches.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a current via an inverter and providing the current to the control unit from the inverter via a backbone.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising limiting the phase of a current flow through the charging coils to be one of zero and 180 degrees.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising selectively distributing the current to the first and second sets of switches via the first and second power paths.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising distributing power to the first and second sets of switches via the first and second power paths at the same time and distributing power to a single charging coil from each of the first and second sets of charging coils at a moment in time.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising enclosing, within an enclosure, the first and second sets of charging coils, the control unit, and the first and second sets of switches, wherein the enclosure, the first and second sets of charging coils, the control unit, and the first and second sets of switches form a modular device.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising activating one charging coil of the first set of charging coils and one charging coil of the second set of charging coils at the same time.

19. A device for distributing power, the device comprising:

a first set of means for providing wireless power;

a second set of means for providing wireless power;

a first set of means for selectively controlling configured to selectively provide power to the first set of wireless power providing means;

a second set of means for selectively controlling configured to selectively provide power to the second set of wireless power providing means; and

means for controlling the first set of selectively controlling means and the second set of selectively controlling means, the first and second sets of wireless power providing means being interleaved, and each of the first set of selectively controlling means further configured to respectively couple one of the first set of wireless power providing means to the controlling means and each of the second set of selectively controlling means further configured to respectively couple one of the second set of wireless power providing means to the controlling means.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first set of wireless power providing means comprises a first set of charging coils.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the second set of wireless power providing means comprises a second set of charging coils.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the first set of selectively controlling means comprises a first set of switches.

23. The device of claim 19, wherein the second set of selectively controlling means comprises a second set of switches.

24. The device of claim 19, wherein the controlling means comprises a control unit.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the controlling means is further configured to couple to a power source via a plurality of power paths, wherein a first power path is coupled to the first set of selectively controlling means and a second power path is coupled to the second set of selectively controlling means.

26. The device of claim 19, further comprising a means for inverting configured to generate a current and a means for conveying the current configured to provide the generated current from the means for inverting to the means for controlling.

27. The device of claim 19, wherein at least one selectively controlling means of the first and second sets of selectively controlling means is further configured to limit a phase of a current flow through the coupled wireless power providing means to be one of zero or 180 degrees.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein the controlling means is further configured to receive a current from the power source and distribute the current to the first and second sets of selectively controlling means via the first and second power paths.

29. The device of claim 19, wherein the controlling means is further configured to receive a control signal from a system controller and activate one of the selectively controlling means of the first or second sets of selectively controlling means based on the control signal.

30. The device of claim 19, wherein the controlling means is further configured to distribute power to a single wireless power providing means via each of the first and second power paths at a moment in time.

31. The device of claim 19, further comprising a means for enclosing, wherein the first and second sets of wireless providing means, the controlling means, and the first and second sets of selectively controlling means are each enclosed within the enclosing means.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the enclosing means, the first and second sets of wireless providing means, the controlling means, and the first and second sets of selectively controlling means form a modular device.

33. The device of claim 19, wherein the controlling means is configured to activate one wireless providing means of the first set of wireless providing means and one of the wireless providing means of the second set of wireless providing means at the same time.