Method and Apparatus for a Wireless Charging System

• US 20160075245A1
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Logvinov, Oleg, Zhang, Bo, Allen, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,137,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An embodiment is a system including a first wireless charging pad coupled to a wireless charging system and an energy source, the first wireless charging pad being configured to transmit an energy by a magnetic field. The system further includes a second wireless charging pad coupled to a second system, the second wireless charging pad configured to receive at least a portion of the energy from the first wireless charging system for operating the second system. Further embodiments include a least one of an electronic compass configured to provide alignment data of the first and second wireless charging pads, and an interface configured to receive the alignment data and affect an alignment of the first and second wireless charging pads.

Claims

1. A wireless charging system comprising:

a charging device coupled to a primary energy source configured to drive an energized charging pad with a power signal, the charging device further comprising a first PLC (power line communications) node coupled to the energized charging pad; and

an electronic device comprising;

a receiver charging pad configured to receive at least a portion of the power signal from the energized charging pad;

a second PLC node coupled to the receiver charging pad, the first PLC node configured to communicate a PLC signal with the second PLC node through the energized charging pad and the receiver charging pad; and

a power converter coupled to the receiver charging pad, the power converter configured to convert the received power signal into charging energy for the electronic device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second PLC node is further configured to communicate with the power converter to manage a charging process for the electronic device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first PLC node and the second PLC node are further configured to determine alignment of the energized and receiver charging pads using a signal to noise ratio of the PLC signal.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one electronic compass configured to provide alignment data of the energized and receiver charging pads.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one the first and second PLC nodes are configured to periodically transmit in order to form a network connection and upon successful connection, initiate the charging and or charging pad alignment process.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the PLC signal is extended using additional antennas made as part of the energized charging pad.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the energized charging pad and the receiver charging pad further comprises a plurality of conductive coils.

8. A system comprising:

a first wireless charging pad coupled to a wireless charging system and an energy source, the first wireless charging pad being configured to transmit an energy by a magnetic field;

a second wireless charging pad coupled to a second system, the second wireless charging pad configured to receive at least a portion of the energy from the first wireless charging system for operating the second system; and

at least one electronic compass configured to provide alignment data of the first and second wireless charging pads.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising an interface configured to receive the alignment data and affect an alignment of the first and second wireless charging pads.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the interface comprises a graphical or alphanumeric display.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the interface comprises an automated machine control for positioning one or more of the first and second wireless charging pads.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic compass is comprised of one or more of:

(1) a 1, 2, or, 3 axes magnetometer;

(2) a 1, 2, or, 3 axes accelerometer; and

(3) a 1, 2 or, 3 axes gyroscope.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic compass is in the second wireless charging pad assembly.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic compass is in the first wireless charging pad assembly.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein a magnet is provided in one or both of the first and second wireless charging pad assemblies.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the alignment data is comprised of a 1, 2, or 3 axes magnetometer data.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the alignment data consists of magnetometer data representing the magnetic field of the first wireless charging pad and is used to locate a proper location of the second wireless charging pad with respect to the first wireless charging pad for optimal energy coupling performance.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the alignment data consists of magnetometer data representing the magnetic field of a magnet attached to one or both of the first and second wireless charging pads and is used to locate a proper location of the other wireless charging pad for optimal energy coupling performance.

19. The system of claim 8, wherein the alignment data consists of magnetometer data representing the magnetic field of a magnet attached to one or both of the first and second wireless charging pads, wherein the magnet has magnetic poles aligned as indications of the respective wireless charging pad identity.

20. The system of claim 8, wherein the first and second wireless charging pads have different magnetic field patterns, wherein the second system is an electric vehicle (EV) configured to calculate an alignment of the first and second wireless charging pads based on magnetometer data and data about the second wireless charging pad characteristics stored in a memory of the second system.

21. The system of claim 8 further comprising a communications link used to communicate data between the wireless charging system and the second system, wherein the communications link is a power line communications (PLC) connection between the first and second wireless charging pads using a magnetic field.

22. A method for wireless charging, the method comprising:

transferring energy from an energized charging pad of a charger to a receiver charging pad of a device being charged; and

using PLC (power line communications) for communications between the charger and the device being charged.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the using PLC for communications further comprises using the energized charging pad and the receiver charging pad for the communications.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

periodically transmitting a PLC signal from the charger in order to form a network connection; and

after successfully forming the network connection, initiating a charging process.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

periodically transmitting a PLC signal from the charger in order to form a network connection; and

after successfully forming the network connection, initiating a charging pad alignment process.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

periodically transmitting a PLC signal from the device being charged in order to form a network connection; and

after successfully forming the network connection, initiating a charging process.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

periodically transmitting a PLC signal from the device being charged in order to form a network connection; and

after successfully forming the network connection, initiating a charging pad alignment process.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

detecting a power signal in the energized charging pad by the receiver charging pad;

initiating PLC communications; and

after PLC communications are established, initiating a charging process.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining a presence of the receiver charging pad by sensing loading or detuning of the energized or receiver charging pad;

when the presence is determined, initiating the PLC communications; and

after PLC communications are established, initiating a charging process.

30. The method of claim 22, using a PLC signal to noise ratio to determine an alignment of the energized charging pad and receiver charging pad.

31. A method for wireless charging, the method comprising:

aligning a first wireless charging pad with a second wireless charging pad using alignment data from one or more electronic compasses; and

energizing the first wireless charging pad to transfer energy to the second wireless charging pad.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first wireless charging pad is a part of a wireless charging system, and wherein the second wireless charging pad is a part of an electric vehicle (EV).

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the first wireless charging pad is a part of an electric vehicle (EV), and wherein the second wireless charging pad is a part of a wireless charging system.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the one or more electronic compasses are comprised of one or more of:

(1) a 1, 2, or, 3 axes magnetometer;

(2) a 1, 2, or, 3 axes accelerometer; and

(3) a 1, 2 or, 3 axes gyroscope.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the one or more electronic compasses are in the second wireless charging pad assembly.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the one or more electronic compasses are in the first wireless charging pad assembly.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the aligning the first wireless charging pad with the second wireless charging pad is performed autonomously without any human intervention.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the aligning the first wireless charging pad with the second wireless charging pad further comprises:

mapping a magnetic field produced by the first wireless charging pad;

comparing the mapped magnetic field of the first wireless charging pad to a configuration of the second wireless charging pad; and

adjusting a topology of the first wireless charging pad based on the comparison of the mapped magnetic field of the first wireless charging pad and the configuration of the second wireless charging pad.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the first wireless charging pad comprises a plurality of conductive coils, wherein the adjusting the topology of the first wireless charging pad further comprises selecting only a portion of the plurality of conductive coils to be energized.

40. The method of claim 31, wherein the aligning the first wireless charging pad with the second wireless charging pad further comprises:

providing the alignment data to an interface; and

adjusting at least one of the first and second wireless charging pads based on the alignment data at the interface.