CONFIGURABLE GRID CHARGING COIL WITH ACTIVE SWITCH AND SENSING SYSTEM

• US 20190058348A1
• Filed: 08/15/2017
• Published: 02/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Chi-Ming, Dede, Ercan M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,892,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Methods, systems, and device for wirelessly charging a device. The inductive charging system includes a power source for providing an electrical charge that is wirelessly transferred or emitted to charge a first device. The inductive charging system includes a configurable grid that is configured to form a first inductive loop and multiple switches. Each switch is configured to open and close to electrically connect different portions of the configurable grid. The inductive charging system includes a processor connected to the multiple switches. The processor is configured to operate the multiple switches to open and close the portions of the configurable grid to form the first inductive loop that wirelessly transfers the electrical charge to the first device.

Claims

1. An inductive charging system, comprising:

a power source for providing an electrical charge that is wirelessly transferred or emitted to charge a first device;

a configurable grid that is configured to form a first inductive loop;

a plurality of switches within the configurable grid, each switch of the plurality of switches being configured to open and close to electrically connect different portions of the configurable grid; and

a processor connected to the plurality of switches and configured to operate the plurality of switches to open and close the portions of the configurable grid to form the first inductive loop that wirelessly transfers the electrical charge to the first device.

2. The inductive charging system of claim 1, wherein to operate the plurality of switches the processor is configured to open a first switch of the plurality of switches and close a second switch of the plurality of switches to form a closed-circuit within the configurable grid to form the first inductive loop.

3. The inductive charging system of claim 2, further comprising:

a sensor for detecting a position of the first device within the configurable grid;

wherein the processor is connected to the sensor and is configured to;

obtain, from the sensor, the position of the first device, and

open the first switch and close the second switch to form the inductive loop based on the position of the first device.

4. The inductive charging system of claim 3, wherein the sensor is a camera that captures image data, wherein the processor is configured to obtain, from the sensor, the position of the first device based on the image data.

5. The inductive charging system of claim 3, wherein the configurable grid has a plurality of cells, wherein the sensor detects an amount of the electrical charge that is drawn by the first device in each cell of the plurality of cells, wherein the processor is configured to obtain, from the sensor, the position of the device based on the amount of the electrical charge that is drawn by the first device in each cell.

6. The inductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the configurable grid has a plurality of cells formed from the electrically conductive wire, wherein each cell of the plurality of cells is shaped in a polygon including at least one of a triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon, or octagon, wherein a cell of the plurality of cells is formed in the polygon shape by closing one or more switches of the plurality of switches to form a closed circuit of the electrically conductive wire.

7. The inductive charging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for storing a configuration of the plurality of switches, wherein the configuration indicates whether each switch of the plurality of switches is closed or open;

wherein the processor is configured to operate the plurality of switches based on the stored configuration.

8. The inductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the first inductive loop forms a first closed-circuit, wherein the processor is further configured to operate the plurality of switches to open and close to form a second inductive loop that wirelessly transfers the electrical charge to a second device, wherein the second inductive loop forms a second closed-circuit that is different from the first closed-circuit that forms the first inductive loop.

9. The inductive charging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor configured to detect the first device and a distance between the configurable grid and the first device;

wherein the processor is configured to;

determine that the distance between the configurable grid and the first device is less than or equal to a charging distance, and

activate the power source to provide the electrical energy to the configurable grid when the first device is within the charging distance.

10. An inductive charging device that wirelessly transfers electrical energy to a vehicle, comprising:

a power source for providing an electrical charge that is wirelessly transferred or emitted to charge a first device;

a configurable grid formed from electrically conductive wire; and

a plurality of switches within the configurable grid that are configured to open and close to electrically connect portions of the configurable grid to form an inductive loop.

11. The inductive charging device of claim 10, wherein the configurable grid has a plurality of cells formed from the electrically conductive wire, wherein each cell of the plurality of cells is shaped in a polygon including at least one of a triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon, or octagon.

12. The inductive charging device of claim 11, wherein a cell of the plurality of cells is formed in the polygon shape by closing one or more switches of the plurality of switches to form a closed circuit of the electrically conductive wire.

13. The inductive charging device of claim 10, wherein the power source is connected to and provides the electrical charge through one or more portions of the configurable grid that form a closed-circuit inductive loop when one or more switches of the plurality of switches are positioned in a closed position.

14. A method for wirelessly powering or charging devices, comprising:

forming, by a processor, a first closed-circuit inductive loop within a configurable grid having a plurality of switches to wirelessly transfer a first electrical charge to a first device; and

providing, using a power source, the first electrical charge through the first closed-circuit inductive loop to transmit the electrical charge to the first device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the closed-circuit inductive loop includes configuring one or more switches of the plurality of switches into at least one of an open position or a closed position to form the first closed-circuit inductive loop.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining, from a sensor, sensor data that indicates a shape or position of an inductive coil of a first device; and

determining the shape or the position of the inductive coil of the first device is based on the sensor data;

wherein forming the closed-circuit inductive loop is based on the determined shape or position of the inductive coil of the first device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein obtaining the sensor data includes capturing an image of the inductive coil of the first device, wherein determining the shape or the position of the inductive coil includes analyzing the image and determining an outline of the inductive coil.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

forming, by the processor, a second closed-circuit inductive loop within the configurable grid to wirelessly transfer a second electrical charge to a second device; and

providing, using the power source, the second electrical charge through the second closed-circuit inductive loop to transmit the second electrical charge to the second device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the power is providing the first electrical charge to through the first closed-circuit inductive loop and the second electrical charge through the second closed-circuit inductive loop simultaneously.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first electrical charge and the second electrical are of a different polarity or flow in a different direction.