Inductive charging system for electric vehicle

• US 9,701,212 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• 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: Taylor, Joshua B., Weber, Richard J., Eurich, Sean T., Stoner, Jr., William T., Baarman, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US14/547,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20150069967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• 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 motion detection system of a vehicle charging system for detecting an object moving in a space between a primary coil and a secondary coil, the motion detection system comprising:

a sensor, separate from power transmission circuitry, configured to measure a characteristic for detecting movement of the object;

a charging circuit electrically connected to the sensor and operable to prevent activation of the primary coil from a non-energized state in response to the movement of the object being detected by the sensor in the space between the primary coil and the secondary coil;

at least one of an alarm and a vibration for encouraging the object to vacate the space between the primary coil and the secondary coil,

wherein the sensor will trigger the at least one of an alarm and a vibration when an object is detected by the sensor.

2. The motion detection system of claim 1 wherein the presence of the object between the primary coil and the secondary coil would otherwise degrade the efficiency of an inductive coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil.

3. The motion detection system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a passive infrared sensor.

4. The motion detection system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

5. The motion detection system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a microwave sensor.

6. An inductive charging system for a vehicle including a secondary coil, the inductive charging system comprising:

a primary coil to provide wireless power to the secondary coil, the primary coil being spaced apart from the secondary coil;

a motion sensor, separate from power transmission circuitry, configured to measure a characteristic to detect movement of an object between the primary coil and the secondary coil; and

a charging circuit electrically coupled to the primary coil and the motion sensor, the charging circuit being adapted to prevent the transfer of power from the primary coil from a non-energized state to the secondary coil in response to movement of the object being detected between the primary coil and the secondary coil by the motion sensor, wherein the presence of the object between the primary coil and the secondary coil would otherwise degrade the transfer of wireless power from the primary coil to the secondary coil.

7. The inductive charging system of claim 6 wherein motion sensor is a passive infrared sensor.

8. The inductive charging system of claim 6 wherein motion sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

9. The inductive charging system of claim 6 wherein motion sensor is a microwave sensor.

10. The inductive charging system of claim 6 further including an alarm to encourage the object to vacate the space between the primary coil and the secondary coil.

11. The inductive charging system of claim 6 further including a vibration unit for generating a vibration in a space between the primary coil and the secondary coil to encourage the object to vacate the space between the primary coil and the secondary coil.

12. A method comprising:

providing a vehicle charging system including a primary coil adapted to transfer power to a secondary coil associated with a vehicle;

providing a motion sensor, separate from power transmission circuitry, configured to measure a characteristic to monitor a charging area between the primary coil and the secondary coil;

in response to the motion sensor detecting movement of an object in the charging area between the primary coil and the secondary coil, preventing activation of the primary coil from a non-energized state and initiating an alarm or a vibration to encourage the object to vacate the charging area,

wherein the presence of the object in the charging area would otherwise degrade the transfer of power from the primary coil to the secondary coil.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the motion sensor includes a passive infrared sensor, an ultrasound sensor, or a microwave sensor.