Wirelessly charging vehicles moving in vehicle convoy
First Claim
1. A distributed system to provide wireless energy sharing within a vehicle convoy, the system comprising:
- a charge vehicle communicatively coupled to a plurality of vehicles in the vehicle convoy, wherein the charge vehicle is configured to provide electrical energy to at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, and wherein the plurality of vehicles are configured to be powered by the electrical energy and are configured to recharge wirelessly while moving; and
the at least one vehicle from the plurality of vehicles, which is configured to;
determine a situation for the at least one vehicle to receive a recharge;
determine that the charge vehicle is capable to provide the recharge;
position the at least one vehicle near the charge vehicle to wirelessly receive the electrical energy for the recharge,wherein to position the at least one vehicle near the charge vehicle, the at least one vehicle is configured to exchange a position in the vehicle convoy with another vehicle in the plurality of vehicles according to remaining charge levels of the at least one vehicle and the another vehicle; and
recharge through wireless energy transfer from the charge vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Technologies are generally described for a distributed system to provide wireless energy sharing between electrically powered vehicles. In some examples, two or more vehicles traveling on a roadway may be configured to share energy while in route to a destination. The vehicles may be equipped with wireless energy transfer units to enable the vehicles to exchange energy. At least one of the vehicles may be a mobile electric charging station configured to store a large amount of charge and to provide charge to vehicles. The electric charging station may be in communication with a controller, where the controller may be configured to identify vehicles in need of recharge and to identify at least one vehicle having sufficient charge to share. The controller may schedule a time and place for the two vehicles to meet in order to share charge. Additionally, the vehicles may be self-coordinated without a controller.
29 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A distributed system to provide wireless energy sharing within a vehicle convoy, the system comprising:
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a charge vehicle communicatively coupled to a plurality of vehicles in the vehicle convoy, wherein the charge vehicle is configured to provide electrical energy to at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, and wherein the plurality of vehicles are configured to be powered by the electrical energy and are configured to recharge wirelessly while moving; and the at least one vehicle from the plurality of vehicles, which is configured to; determine a situation for the at least one vehicle to receive a recharge; determine that the charge vehicle is capable to provide the recharge; position the at least one vehicle near the charge vehicle to wirelessly receive the electrical energy for the recharge, wherein to position the at least one vehicle near the charge vehicle, the at least one vehicle is configured to exchange a position in the vehicle convoy with another vehicle in the plurality of vehicles according to remaining charge levels of the at least one vehicle and the another vehicle; and recharge through wireless energy transfer from the charge vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system to provide wireless energy sharing between vehicles in a vehicle convoy, the system comprising:
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a charge vehicle configured to; lead the vehicle convoy store electrical energy; and wirelessly provide the stored electrical energy to a plurality of other vehicles in the vehicle convoy, wherein the plurality of other vehicles are configured to be powered by the electrical energy and configured to recharge wirelessly while moving; and a controller communicatively coupled to the charge vehicle and the plurality of other vehicles, wherein the controller is configured to; determine one or more vehicles among the plurality of other vehicles to receive a recharge; instruct the one or more vehicles to position in an order relative to the charge vehicle within the vehicle convoy to wirelessly receive the electrical energy for the recharge, wherein the order is determined according to remaining charge levels of the one or more vehicles; and instruct the charge vehicle to recharge the one or more vehicles after the one or more vehicles are positioned near the charge vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method to provide wireless energy sharing between vehicles in a vehicle convoy, the method comprising:
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determining one or more vehicles among a plurality of vehicles to receive a recharge, wherein the plurality of vehicles within the vehicle convoy includes a charge vehicle, and wherein the charge vehicle is configured to store and provide electrical energy to the one or more vehicles; instructing the one or more vehicles to position in an order relative to the charge vehicle to receive the electrical energy wirelessly for the recharge, wherein the order is determined based on remaining charge levels of the one or more vehicles; and instructing the charge vehicle to recharge the one or more vehicles after the one or more vehicles are positioned near the charge vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A charge vehicle to provide wireless energy sharing to a plurality of vehicles within a vehicle convoy, the charge vehicle comprising:
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a wireless communication module configured to communicate with the plurality of vehicles; a power storage unit (PSU) configured to store electrical energy; a wireless energy transfer (WET) unit coupled to the PSU and configured to wirelessly provide the electrical energy to one or more vehicles among the plurality of vehicles positioned near the charge vehicle; and a controller coupled to the wireless communication module, the PSU, and the WET unit, the controller configured to; receive, via the wireless communication module, a request to recharge from the one or more vehicles; instruct, via the wireless communication module, the one or more vehicles to position in an order relative to the charge vehicle to receive the electrical energy wirelessly, wherein the order is determined according to remaining charge levels of the one or more vehicles; and instruct the WET unit to transfer the electrical energy from the PSU to the one or more vehicles positioned relative to the charge vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification