WIRELESS VEHICLE RECHARGING SYSTEM

• US 20180069431A1
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Inventors: Mastrandrea, Francesco
• Granted Patent: US 10,298,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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 vehicle including a wireless vehicle recharging system which includes a receiver coupled to the vehicle and configured to receive electrical power through electromagnetic induction from a transmitter, an alignment system including a controller configured to autonomously align the receiver with the transmitter, and a first sensor configured to provide a first signal to the controller. The controller uses the first signal from the first sensor to control a position of the vehicle to align the receiver with the transmitter.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a wireless vehicle recharging system, comprising;

a receiver coupled to the vehicle and configured to receive electrical power through electromagnetic induction from a transmitter;

an alignment system, comprising;

a controller configured to autonomously align the receiver with the transmitter;

a first sensor configured to provide a first signal to the controller; and

wherein the controller uses the first signal from the first sensor to control a position of the vehicle to align the receiver with the transmitter.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a camera.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, comprising a second sensor configured to provide a second signal wherein the controller uses the second signal from the second sensor to control the position of the vehicle to align the receiver with the transmitter.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the receiver is positioned underneath the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the receiver is positioned on a side of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to cross-reference the first signal from the first sensor with the second signal from the second sensor to control the position of the vehicle to align the receiver with the transmitter.

7. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the first and second sensors couple to the receiver, wherein the first and second sensors are configured to receive different signals from the transmitter, and wherein the controller uses the different signals from the transmitter to control the position of the vehicle to align the receiver with the transmitter.

8. A wireless vehicle recharging system, comprising;

a receiver configured to couple to a vehicle and to receive electrical power through electromagnetic induction from a transmitter;

an alignment system, comprising;

a controller configured to assist in alignment of the receiver with the transmitter; and

a first sensor configured to provide a first signal to the controller wherein the first signal is indicative of a location of the transmitter; and

a display coupled to the controller, wherein the display is configured to display information related to the location of the transmitter to facilitate alignment of the receiver with the transmitter.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first sensor comprises a camera.

10. The system of claim 8, comprising a second sensor configured to provide a second signal, wherein the second signal is indicative of the location of the transmitter.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the receiver is positioned underneath the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the receiver is positioned on a side of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to cross-reference the first signal from the first sensor with the second signal from the second sensor to verify the location of the transmitter.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second sensors couple to the receiver, wherein the first and second sensors are configured to receive different signals from the transmitter, and wherein the controller uses the different signals to determine the location of the transmitter.

15. A wireless vehicle recharging system, comprising;

a transmitter configured to transfer power through electromagnetic induction;

a receiver configured to couple to a vehicle and to receive electrical power from the transmitter;

an alignment system, comprising;

a first controller configured to assist in alignment of the receiver with the transmitter; and

a first sensor configured to provide a first signal to the first controller wherein the first signal is indicative of a location of the transmitter.

16. The system of claim 15, a display coupled to the first controller, wherein the display is configured to display information about the location of the transmitter to facilitate alignment of the receiver with the transmitter.

17. The system of claim 15, comprising a second controller wherein the second controller couples to the transmitter to control a release of power by the transmitter.

18. The system of claim 17, comprising a motor coupled to the transmitter, wherein the second controller is configured to control movement of the transmitter to reduce a distance between the receiver and the transmitter.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the receiver is configured to be positioned underneath a vehicle.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the receiver is configured to be positioned on a side of the vehicle.