Vehicle charging system

• US 9,467,002 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Martin, Douglas Raymond, Treharne, William David
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Dung V
• Application Number:
  US13/553,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20140021914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/150, 320/104, 315/86
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/045 : using a thermal radiation sensor
• 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 50/80 : involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 : Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 : with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using 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

Abstract

A vehicle is provided comprising a battery, a charge plate electrically connected to the battery, and a thermal sensor configured to output a signal indicative of a sensed temperature. The thermal sensor can be positioned to determine temperature in the area proximate to the charge plate. The vehicle further includes at least one controller configured to (a) cause an association signal to be repeatedly transmitted during a battery charge procedure such that charging of the battery via the charge plate is maintained, and (b) in response to the sensed temperature exceeding a primary threshold, cause the repeated transmission of the association signal to be interrupted such that charging of the battery ceases.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a battery;

a charge plate electrically connected to the battery;

a sensor configured to output a signal indicative of a sensed temperature; and

a vehicle controller configured to cause (a) an association signal to be repeatedly transmitted from the vehicle during a battery charge procedure such that charging of the battery via the charge plate is maintained, and (b) in response to the sensed temperature exceeding a primary threshold, the repeated transmission of the association signal from the vehicle to be interrupted such that charging of the battery ceases.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned to sense temperature in an area proximate to the charge plate.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to cause, in response to the sensed temperature being greater than a secondary threshold and less than the primary threshold, a reduction signal to be transmitted such that the battery is charged via the charge plate with a reduced charging current.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the reduced charging current has an amperage level that is a function of a degree of the sensed temperature.

5. The vehicle of claim 3 further comprising an alert mechanism in communication with the controller and configured to generate an alert in response to the sensed temperature exceeding the secondary threshold.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to cause, in response to the sensed temperature exceeding the primary threshold, a termination signal to be transmitted such that charging of the battery via the charge plate ceases.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a cover configured to shield the sensor when the sensor is inactive and retract thereby exposing the sensor when the sensor is active.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one controller is further configured to cause the association signal to be repeatedly transmitted at predetermined time intervals during a charge procedure.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one controller is further configured to activate the sensor prior to causing the repeated transmission of the association signal.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an alert mechanism in communication with the controller and configured to generate an alert in response to the sensed temperature exceeding the primary threshold.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a battery;

an inductive charge plate in electrical communication with the battery;

a sensor configured to output a signal indicative of an external temperature in a vicinity of the charge plate; and

at least one controller configured to cause (a) an association signal to be repeatedly transmitted to a charge system during a charging of the battery via the charge plate such that charging of the battery is maintained, and (b) in response to the external temperature in the vicinity of the charge plate exceeding a primary threshold, the repeated transmission of the association signal to be suspended such that charging of the battery discontinues.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to cause, in response to the temperature being greater than a secondary threshold and less than the primary threshold, a reduction signal to be transmitted such that the battery is charged via the charge plate at a reduced charging current.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the reduced charging current comprises an amperage level that is based upon a degree of the temperature.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to cause, in response to the temperature exceeding the primary threshold, a termination signal to be transmitted to the charging system such that charging of the battery via the charge plate ceases.

15. A method comprising:

outputting a temperature signal indicative of an external temperature proximate to an inductive charge plate;

repeatedly transmitting an association signal to a charge system during charging of a battery via the charge plate such that the charge system continues to charge the battery; and

interrupting the repeated transmission of the association signal in response to the temperature exceeding a primary threshold such that the charge system discontinues charging of the battery.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising reducing a charge current associated with the charging of the battery in response to the temperature being greater than a secondary threshold and less than the primary threshold such that the charge system charges the battery via the charge plate at a reduced amperage.