Remote charging system for a vehicle

• US 6,114,834 A
• Filed: 11/08/1999
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ronald J. Parise
• Original Assignee: Ronald J. Parise
• Inventors: Parise, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/436,291
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/106, 320/107, 320/108, 361/235, 180/313, 701/22, 322/2 R, 244/1 R
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• 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 8/00 Electric propulsion with power supply from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/30 using light, e.g. lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/00 Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• 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 90/167 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

This invention is a remote charging system for use with an electrical storage device mounted in an electric or electric/hybrid vehicle. The system includes a power transmission unit capable of transmitting electrical energy to the electrical storage device via a wireless energy beam. The vehicle includes an antenna capable of receiving the wireless energy beam and transferring the electrical energy to the storage device. The vehicle further includes a translocator for transmitting a coded signal to the power transmission unit corresponding to the location of the vehicle and thereby activating the power transmission unit. The power transmission unit receives and locks onto the coded signal and thereby tracks the vehicle during the charging operation. The translocator signal is transmitted until the electrical storage unit reaches a predetermined level of charge.

Claims

1. A remote power system, comprising:

a source of energy;

a power transmission unit operably connected to said energy source, comprising;

power unit transmitter means selectively activatable between on and off conditions, said power transmitter means in said on condition transmitting said energy as a directional wireless power beam,

power unit communication means for receiving a vehicle communication signal,

power unit controller means operably connected to said power unit communication means and said power transmitter means for activating said power transmitting means between said on and off conditions as a function of said received vehicle communication signal; and

a first surface vehicle including a power receiver system comprising;

energy receiving means mounted to said first vehicle for receiving said wireless power beam,

energy conversion means for transforming said received wireless power beam to a vehicle storable energy form,

energy storage means for storing said vehicle storable energy form,

power usage monitoring means for determining the level of energy stored in said storage means,

translocator means operably connected to said power usage monitoring means for transmitting said vehicle communication signal when said energy level is below a predetermined level and terminating said communication signal when said energy level is at or above said predetermined level.

2. The remote power system of claim 1 wherein said wireless power beam is at least one beam selected from the group consisting of radio frequency beam, laser beam, electron beam, and ion beam.

3. The remote power system of claim 1 wherein said wireless power beam has a frequency within the microwave range.

4. The remote power system of claim 1 wherein said wireless power beam is coherent light.

5. The remote power system of claim 1 wherein said power transmission unit is ground based.

6. The remote power system of claim 1 wherein said power transmission unit comprises vehicle tracking means for locating said first vehicle energy receiving means and directing said wireless power beam thereto.

7. The remote power system of claim 6 further comprising a second surface vehicle wherein said power transmission unit sequentially transmits said power beam to both said first and second vehicle energy receiving means.

8. The remote power system of claim 1 wherein said wireless power beam is pulsed.

9. The remote power system of claim 1 wherein said first vehicle comprises a translocator energy unit having a user determinable number of energy credits and operable to allow power beam transmission from the power transmission unit to the first vehicle until the energy credits are depleted.

10. The remote power system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle communication signal comprises a data stream.

11. The remote power system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle communication signal is encrypted.

12. The remote power system of claim 1 comprising an additional power transmission unit spaced from said power transmission unit, wherein in response to said first vehicle communication signal a power beam is transmitted to said first vehicle initially by one of said power transmission unit and said additional power transmission unit and subsequently by the other of said power transmission unit and said additional power transmission unit.

13. A method for powering a surface vehicle having an antenna and an energy storage device with a variable energy level, comprising:

monitoring said energy level in said storage device;

activating a vehicle communication signal when said energy level is below a pre-established level;

receiving said vehicle communication signal at a first power transmission unit;

starting transmission of energy as a wireless power beam from said first power transmission unit to said vehicle antenna in response to said vehicle communication signal;

deactivating said vehicle communication signal when said energy level is at or above said preestablished level; and

stopping transmission of said power beam in response to said vehicle communication signal deactivation.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said vehicle communication signal comprises a data stream and comprising the step of locating said vehicle antenna location.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said power beam is comprised of discrete pulses.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said vehicle is moving and comprising the step of tracking said vehicle antenna location.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising:

stopping said power beam transmission from said first power transmission unit as a function of said vehicle movement; and

starting transmission of a wireless directional power beam from a second power transmission unit to said vehicle antenna in response to said vehicle communication signal and said vehicle movement.