VARIABLE GAIN REFERENCE ANTENNA FOR NON-CONTACT CHARGING DEVICE

• US 20150314688A1
• Filed: 05/05/2014
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: THOMPSON, GARY R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,321,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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

A non-contact charging device for charging a battery includes a source resonator, a reference antenna, and a variable gain amplifier. The source resonator is configured to transfer electrical energy to a capture resonator in a vehicle. The reference antenna is configured to detect a reference signal originating from the source resonator. The reference antenna is configured to be less sensitive to a presence of a foreign object than a foreign object detection (FOD) antenna proximate to the reference antenna. The variable gain amplifier is configured to amplify a reference signal from the reference antenna.

Claims

1. A non-contact charging device for charging a battery in a vehicle, said device comprising:

a source resonator configured to transfer electrical energy to a capture resonator in a vehicle;

a reference antenna configured to detect a reference signal originating from the source resonator, wherein said reference antenna is configured to be less sensitive to a presence of a foreign object than a foreign object detection (FOD) antenna proximate to the reference antenna; and

a variable gain amplifier configured to amplify a reference signal from the reference antenna.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the amplifier operates at a first selected gain when the device is charging a battery in the vehicle, and a second selected gain greater than the first selected gain when the device is not charging a battery in the vehicle.

3. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the amplifier includes a resistor network operable to determine the gain of the amplifier to a plurality of gain values.

4. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the device includes a plurality of reference antenna and a switching device configured to selectively connect one or more of the plurality of reference antenna to the amplifier.