Supply system and method for supplying an electric load

• US 9,553,459 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Mack, Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NHA T
• Application Number:
  US14/130,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20140217957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/30 using light, e.g. lasers
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A system for supplying an electric load, in particular for charging a battery device, including a charging station with an accommodation unit for the battery device and a detection unit for the battery device. The detection unit includes a first optical transmitting device for transmitting a first optical signal and an optical receiving device for receiving the first optical signal. The battery device includes a second optical transmitting device for transmitting a second and third optical signal, the second optical transmitting device functioning as a transmitter of a discretely configured optocoupler for transmitting information from the battery device to the charging station. The optical receiving device of the charging station is configured as a receiver of the discretely configured optocoupler for receiving the second and third optical signals.

Claims

1. A system for supplying an electric load, for charging a battery device, comprising:

a charging station having a housing shaped to receive the battery device, the charging station including a detection unit for detecting that the battery device is received in the charging station, the detection unit having a first optical transmitting device for transmitting a first optical signal and an optical receiving device for receiving the first optical signal, the battery device being detected when the first optical signal is interrupted by at least a portion of the battery device being inserted into the charging station to occupy a space between the optical transmitting device and the optical receiving device;

wherein the battery device includes a second optical transmitting device for transmitting a second and third optical signal, the second optical transmitting device functioning as a transmitter of a discretely configured optocoupler for transmitting information from the battery device to the charging station, and the optical receiving device of the charging station being configured as a receiver of the discretely configured optocoupler for receiving the second and third optical signals,

wherein the charging station includes means for transmitting electrical energy to the battery device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portion of the battery device includes a conical housing part of a housing of the battery device, the second optical transmitting device being housed in the conical housing part so that when the battery device is inserted, the second optical transmitting device is situated in the field of view of the optical receiving device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the charging station includes a receiving shaft for the conical housing part of the battery device, in which the optical transmitting device and the optical receiving device of the charging station are situated opposite one another.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the receiving shaft is configured as a continuous opening within the housing of the charging station.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for transmitting electrical energy includes an inductive transmitter coil for transmitting energy in the form of a magnetic alternating field to an inductive receiver coil of the battery device, the charging station being configured to initiate the transmission of energy if the receipt of the first optical signal is interrupted over a predefined first time span, the charging station being further configured to stop the transmission of energy if over a predefined second time span no second optical signal is received and/or if the third optical signal is received.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery device is configured to transmit with the aid of an optical pulse transmission protocol via the second optical transmitting device to the optical receiving device of the charging station identification-related information, information on the instantaneous state of charge or residual capacitance, on any malfunction and/or on instantaneous power requirements of the battery device.

7. A battery device for a system for supplying an electric load, for charging the battery device, the battery device being charged by a charging station that transmits a first optical signal via a first optical transmitting device, the battery device comprising:

a second optical transmitting device for transmitting a second and third optical signal, the second optical transmitting device functioning as a transmitter of a discretely configured optocoupler for transmitting information from the battery device to the charging station, and an optical receiving device of the charging station being configured as a receiver of the discretely configured optocoupler for receiving the second and third optical signals;

wherein the system includes the charging station having a housing shaped to receive at least a portion of the battery device, and a detection unit for detecting that the battery device is received in the charging station, the detection unit having the first optical transmitting device for transmitting the first optical signal and the optical receiving device for receiving the first optical signal,

wherein the battery device is detected when the first optical signal is interrupted by at least a portion of the battery device being inserted into the charging station to occupy a space between the optical transmitting device and the optical receiving device, and

wherein the charging station includes means for transmitting electrical energy to the battery device.

8. A supply station, which is a charging station for a system for supplying an electric load, for charging a battery device, comprising:

a housing shaped to receive the battery device; and

a detection unit for detecting that the battery device is received in the charging station, the detection unit having a first optical transmitting device for transmitting a first optical signal and an optical receiving device for receiving the first optical signal; and

wherein the battery device includes a second optical transmitting device for transmitting a second and third optical signal, the second optical transmitting device functioning as a transmitter of a discretely configured optocoupler for transmitting information from the battery device to the charging station, and the optical receiving device of the charging station being configured as a receiver of the discretely configured optocoupler for receiving the second and third optical signals,

wherein the battery device is detected when the first optical signal is interrupted by at least a portion of the battery device being inserted into the charging station to occupy a space between the optical transmitting device and the optical receiving device, and

wherein the charging station includes means for transmitting electrical energy to the battery device.

9. A method for supplying an electrical load, for the inductive charging of a battery device, the method comprising:

inserting the battery device into a housing of the charging station shaped to receive the battery device;

detecting insertion of the battery device into the housing of the charging station with the aid of a detection unit made up of a first optical transmitting device which transmits a first optical signal and an optical receiving device which receives the first optical signal, wherein the battery device is detected when the first optical signal is interrupted by at least a portion of the battery device being inserted into the charging station to occupy a space between the optical transmitting device and the optical receiving device;

initiating a transmission of energy from an inductive transmitter coil of the charging station to an inductive receiver coil of the battery device if over a predefined time period the transmission of the first optical signal is interrupted;

initiating the charging operation if within the second time span the optical receiving device receives a second optical signal from a second optical transmitting device of the battery device; and

stopping the charging operation if the optical receiving device receives a third optical signal from the second optical transmitting device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the energy transmission is stopped again if after expiration of the second time span the optical receiving device has received no second optical signal from a second optical transmitting device of the battery device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the charging operation is stopped if after removal of the battery device the optical receiving device again receives the first optical signal.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the charging operation is restarted if, upon insertion of the battery device, the transmission of the third optical signal from the second optical transmitting device to the optical receiving device is interrupted over a time period which corresponds at least to the first time span.