Vehicle Charge Exchange System and Method of Use

• US 20170136891A1
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (NIO, Inc. (China))
• Original Assignee: NextEV USA, Inc. (NIO, Inc. (China))
• Inventors: Ricci, Christopher P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,427,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/18 using bow-type collectors in contact with trolley wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/42 for collecting current from individual contact pieces connected to the power supply line
• 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 53/126 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 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/32 by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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
• 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 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A system and method for charging a receiving vehicle, the system comprising: a receiving vehicle comprising an electrical storage unit; a charging panel in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit, the charging panel configured to receive a charge from a charging source and charge the electrical storage unit; and a vehicle controller configured to identify one or more charging sources and further configured to transmit a query to the one or more charging sources and receive at least charging data from the one or more charging sources; and one or more charging sources, each comprising: a charging plate configured to provide a charge to the charging panel; and a charging source controller configured to transmit at least charging data to the vehicle controller in response to the query; wherein if the vehicle controller determines that the charging data received is acceptable, the receiving vehicle is charged.

Claims

1. A system for charging a receiving vehicle from an external charging source, the system comprising:

a receiving vehicle comprising;

an electrical storage unit;

a charging panel in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit, the charging panel configured to receive a charge from an external charging source and charge the electrical storage unit; and

a vehicle controller configured to identify one or more external charging sources and further configured to transmit a query to the one or more external charging sources and receive at least charging data from the one or more external charging sources; and

one or more external charging sources, each comprising;

a charging plate configured to provide a charge to the charging panel; and

a charging source controller configured to transmit at least charging data to the vehicle controller in response to the query;

wherein if the vehicle controller determines that the charging data received is acceptable, the charging plate provides charging to the charging panel wherein the receiving vehicle is charged.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging data comprises pricing term data, charging configuration data, and charging rate data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the charging configuration data comprises allowed charging panel locations for charging comprising vehicle roof, vehicle side panel and vehicle undercarriage.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more external charging sources comprise a vehicle and a charging station.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to provide an electronic financial payment to the charging source controller.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to determine if the receiving vehicle requires charging.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator interconnected to the charging panel and to the receiving vehicle, wherein the actuator is configured to move the charging panel to receive the charge.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one range sensor configured to measure a first measured distance between a first point on the charging panel and a second point on a charging plate.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first point of the charging panel is positioned at a selectable desired separation distance from the second point on the charging plate, wherein the selectable desired separation distance is selected from a receiving vehicle database.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the positioning of the first point of the charging panel to the selectable desired separation distance is performed automatically by actuation of an actuator interconnected to the charging panel.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the receiving vehicle controller receives the first measured distance and automatically actuates the actuator to adjust the position of the charging panel to the desired separation distance.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the actuator is configured to move the charging panel in both a vertical and a lateral direction.

13. A method for charging a receiving vehicle from an external charging source, the method comprising:

determining, by a microprocessor, a charge value of an electrical storage unit disposed on a receiving vehicle;

determining, by the microprocessor, if the charge value is below a selectable threshold value wherein charging of the electrical storage unit is desired;

transmitting, by the microprocessor, a charging query to one or more external charging sources;

receiving, by the microprocessor and in response to the charging query, charging data from at least one of the one or more external charging sources;

determining, by the microprocessor, if the charging data received from the at least one of the one or more external charging sources is acceptable; and

wherein if the charging data received from the at least one of the one or more external charging sources is acceptable, positioning the receiving vehicle to receive a charge from the at least one of the one or more external charging sources;

wherein the receiving vehicle is charged.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

accessing, by the microprocessor, data of a receiving vehicle database comprising receiving vehicle charging configuration data and receiving vehicle cost data; and

comparing, by the microprocessor, the data of the receiving vehicle database with the charging data received from the at least one of the one or more external charging sources.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the charging data comprises pricing term data, charging configuration data, and charging rate data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the charging data includes at least pricing term data comprising charging cost to charge the receiving vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising negotiating the charging cost to a lower value.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiving vehicle comprises a charging panel in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit, the charging panel configured to receive a charge from the at least one of the one or more external charging sources and charge the electrical storage unit.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising an actuator interconnected to the charging panel and to the receiving vehicle, wherein the actuator is configured to move the charging panel to receive the charge.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the actuator is configured to move the charging panel in both a vertical and a lateral direction.