Buddy charging for electric vehicles

• US 9,266,438 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tata Technologies, Pte. Ltd. (Tata Technologies Ltd. (India))
• Original Assignee: Tata Technologies, Pte. Ltd. (Tata Technologies Ltd. (India))
• Inventors: Power, Kevin, Jones, Anthony, Mehta, Casey
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kebede, Tessema
• Application Number:
  US13/737,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20130175973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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 system for charging power source of a recipient electric vehicle using an accelerated charge flow from a power source of a donor vehicle, the system comprising; recipient power source provided with an accessible recipient charge receptacle; donor power source provided with an extendable donor charge receptacle adapted to resiliently engage the recipient charge receptacle; a pack controller, in each donor and recipient vehicle, electrically connected to the acceptor and donor power sources and adapted to combine the functions of a battery pack protection circuit, battery charger, current and voltage regulator, a data monitor and a communication circuit associated with the charge transfer from the donor to acceptor vehicle facilitating regulated and informed power transfer; and a buck-booster electrically connected to the recipient and donor receptacles of the battery in each vehicle, configured to balance relative electrical potentials of the donor to the recipient vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for charging power source of a recipient vehicle using an accelerated charge flow from a power source of a donor vehicle, the system comprising:

a recipient power source provided with an accessible recipient charge receptacle;

a donor power source provided with an extendable donor charge receptacle adapted to resiliently engage the recipient charge receptacle;

a pack controllers, present in each of the donor vehicle and the recipient vehicle, wherein the pack controllers are electrically connected to the recipient power source and the donor power source, and wherein the pack controllers are adapted to combine the functions of a battery pack protection circuit, battery charger, current and voltage regulator, a data monitor and a communication circuit associated with the charge transfer from the donor vehicle to recipient vehicle facilitating regulated and informed power transfer; and

a buck-booster electrically connected to the recipient charge receptacle and the donor receptacle of the battery in present in the recipient vehicle and the donor vehicle respectively, wherein the buck-booster is configured to charge the power source of the recipient vehicle, by the donor vehicle, based on pre-defined voltage and current levels comprising level 1, level 2, and level 3, wherein the buck-booster charges the power source of the recipient vehicle by using a plurality of switches comprising a Switch 1 and a Switch 2, wherein when the Switch 1 is closed and the Switch 2 is opened, the power source is charged for the level 1 or the level 2 selected by the pack-controller, and wherein when the Switch 1 is opened and the Switch 2 is closed, the power source is charged for the level 3.

2. The system for charging the recipient vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a means for electrical connection adapted for carrying the charge current between the recipient vehicle and donor vehicle.

3. The system for charging the recipient vehicle of claim 2, wherein the means for electrical connection is a cable.

4. The system for charging the recipient vehicle of claim 1, wherein the buck-booster comprises a DC/DC converter adapted to buck the input voltage when the input voltage is greater than the output voltage and boost the input voltage when the input voltage is less than output voltage.

5. The system for charging the recipient vehicle of claim 4, wherein the DC/DC converter is adapted to flow current from the donor vehicle to the recipient vehicle and vice versa.

6. The system for charging the recipient vehicle of claim 1, wherein the pack controller on the donor vehicle and the pack controller on the recipient vehicle comprises a processor, a buck/boost module, a DC to DC convertor (104b), an onboard charger (104c), a GFI (104d) and a pre charge relay (104e).

7. The system for charging the recipient vehicle of claim 1, wherein the respective pack controller is adapted to control the coordination of energy transfer between the donor vehicle and the recipient vehicle utilizing communication between the respective pack controllers.

8. The system for charging the recipient vehicle of claim 1, wherein the level 1 indicates 120 volt, the level 2 indicates 208-240 volt, and the level 3 indicates 600 volt.