VEHICLE CHARGER POSITIONING METHOD AND CHARGER ASSEMBLY

• US 20180086219A1
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Published: 03/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Malek, Hadi, Boston, Daniel, Mathews, Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 10,576,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An exemplary charger positioning method includes, among other things, positioning a charging plug of a conductive charger relative to a charge port of a vehicle based on a wireless transmission between the conductive charger and the vehicle. An exemplary charger assembly includes a transmitter system associated with one of a vehicle or a conductive charger, a receiver system associated with the other of the vehicle or the conductive charger, and an actuator that moves a charging plug of the conductive charger to a charging position in response to a transmission from the transmitter system.

Claims

1. A charger positioning method, comprising:

positioning a charging plug of a conductive charger relative to a charge port of a vehicle based on a wireless transmission between the conductive charger and the vehicle.

2. The charger positioning method of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission emanates from the vehicle and is received by the conductive charger.

3. The charger positioning method of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission is generated by a coil, and the method comprises charging the vehicle after the positioning without using the coil.

4. The charger positioning method of claim 1, wherein the positioning is an automatic positioning.

5. The charger positioning method of claim 1, wherein the positioning is based further on infrared recognition.

6. The charger positioning method of claim 1, wherein the positioning is based further on ultrasonic recognition.

7. The charger positioning method of claim 1, wherein the positioning is based further on optical recognition.

8. The charger positioning method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a portion of the charging plug or the charge port within the other of the charging plug or the charge port during the positioning, and conductively charging the vehicle through the charge port.

9. The charger positioning method of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission comprises a magnetic field.

10. A charger assembly, comprising:

a transmitter system associated with one of a vehicle or a conductive charger;

a receiver system associated with the other of the vehicle or the conductive charger; and

an actuator that moves a charging plug of the conductive charger to a charging position in response to a transmission from the transmitter system.

11. The charger assembly of claim 10, wherein the charging plug is physically coupled to a charge port of the vehicle when in the charging position.

12. The charger assembly of claim 10, wherein the transmitter system comprises a first coil, and the receiver system comprises a second coil.

13. The charger assembly of claim 10, wherein the transmission is a magnetic field.

14. The charger assembly of claim 10, wherein the transmitter system is mounted to the vehicle, and the receiver system is mounted to the conductive charger.

15. The charger assembly of claim 14, wherein the receiver system is mounted to the charging plug.

16. The charger assembly of claim 10, further comprising an infrared transmitter and an infrared detector, wherein the actuator moves the charging plug to the charging position additionally in response to an infrared signal.

17. The charger assembly of claim 10, further comprising an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic detector, wherein the actuator moves the charging plug to the charging position additionally in response to an ultrasonic signal.

18. The charger assembly of claim 10, further comprising an optical transmitter and an optical detector, wherein the actuator moves the charging plug to the charging position additionally in response to an optical signal.

19. The charger assembly of claim 10, wherein the transmitter system comprises at least three individual transmitters.