Vehicle charging induction loop incorporated into section of roadway in proximity to traffic stop locations

• US 8,970,167 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Dr ING HCF Porsche AG
• Inventors: Krestel, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US13/310,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/109, 320/132
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/003 for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• 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 section of roadway has at least one integrated induction loop designed to inductively charge a vehicle battery of a hybrid or electric vehicle that is situated on the induction loop. The section of roadway is arranged in the region of a road in which the traffic is at least temporarily stationary. As a result, useless time waiting at traffic lights or railway crossing gates can be used productively.

Claims

1. A section of roadway comprising:

a traffic light or a railway crossing gate;

at least one integrated induction loop being arranged in a region of the section of roadway in front of the traffic light or the railway crossing gate at which the traffic is at least temporarily stationary;

a detection device for detecting when the traffic light or the railway crossing gate is stopping traffic and for detecting a presence of a hybrid or electric vehicle on the induction loop, the detection device further being configured to cause the induction loop to start inductive energy transmission only if the traffic light or the railway crossing gate is stopping traffic and if a hybrid or electric vehicle is on the induction loop.

2. The section of roadway of claim 1, wherein the section of roadway has a plurality of induction loops arranged one behind the other for inductively charging a plurality of hybrid or electric vehicles.

3. The section of roadway of claim 2, wherein the detection device further has an identifier for identifying whether the hybrid or electric vehicle on the induction loop has a charging device that can be charged by the induction loop.

4. The section of roadway of claim 3, wherein the detection device detects a state of charge of the vehicle battery, which may possibly require charging, and a position of the hybrid or electric vehicle that has stopped on the induction loop.

5. The section of roadway of claim 1, wherein the detection device is connected communicatively to the traffic light or to the gate and is activated only when the traffic light is red or the gate is closed.