Inductive charging system for electric vehicle

• US 8,937,454 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2011
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips IP Ventures B.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baarman, David W., Eurich, Sean T., Stoner, William T. Jr., Taylor, Joshua B., Lord, John J., Bachman, Wesley J., Weber, Richard J., Zellers, Kristen J., Lord, Shawn C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US12/984,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• 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 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0814 Field measurements related to measuring influence on or from apparatus, components or humans EMC, EMI and similar testing in general G01R31/001, e.g. in ESD, EMI, EMC, EMP testing, measuring radiation leakage; detecting presence of micro- or radiowave emitters; dosimetry; testing shielding; measurements related to lightning
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charging system for an electric vehicle that assists in aligning a primary charging coil and a secondary coil. The system may include a wheel chock that raises the primary coil into alignment with the secondary coil when a tire enters the wheel chock. The system may include a primary that is recessed below the surface supporting the vehicle and is protected by a cover. The secondary coil may be protected and supported by a skid plate mounted to the vehicle. The system may include a charging circuit that is controlled by signals transmitted by a garage door opener transmitter or a garage door opener. The system may include sensors that detect the presence of an animal or object in the space between the primary coil and the secondary coil.

Claims

1. A primary charging coil support structure including:

a primary charging coil housing, the primary charging coil housing recessed into a surface for supporting a vehicle;

a primary charging coil cover, the primary charging coil cover engaging the primary charging coil housing; and

a primary charging coil and a free resonating coil disposed within the primary charging coil cover, wherein at least one recess is entirely defined by the primary charging coil cover and receives the primary charging coil and the free resonating coil between inter-engaging portions of the primary charging coil cover, and wherein the primary charging coil cover is seated over and engages the primary charging coil housing when at least one of the primary charging coil and the free resonating coil provides wireless power.

2. The primary charging coil support structure of claim 1 wherein the primary charging coil cover is a non-conductive material.

3. The primary charging coil support structure of claim 2 wherein the primary charging coil cover is capable of supporting the vehicle.

4. The primary charging coil support structure of claim 1 wherein a top surface of the primary charging coil cover is positioned in approximately the same plane as an adjacent portion of the surface for supporting the vehicle.

5. The primary charging coil support structure of claim 3 wherein the primary charging coil housing is capable of moving to position the primary charging coil in a desired position.

6. A system for charging a vehicle including:

a primary coil and a free resonating coil recessed below a surface supporting the vehicle and contained between inter-engaging portions of a primary charging coil cover;

a secondary coil mounted to the vehicle, wherein at least one of the primary coil and the free resonating coil is adapted to inductively transfer power to the secondary coil; and

circuitry associated with at least one of the primary coil and the secondary coil, the circuitry allowing for inputting either of wired or wireless power to the vehicle, wherein the primary charging cover is seated over and engages a primary charging coil housing when at least one of the primary charging coil and the free resonating coil provides wireless power.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the circuitry includes a switch circuit that allows for switching between wired and wireless power input to the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the circuitry includes monitoring circuits that monitor the power and phase of the input voltage and monitor the temperature of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the circuitry includes a rectifier circuit for rectifying AC voltage to DC voltage.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the circuitry includes an inverter circuit for converting DC voltage to AC voltage.