Method and apparatus for wireless charging access point identification

• US 10,076,967 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2016
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Hanan J., Turik, John Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Tissot, Adam D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US15/295,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20180105053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• 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 system includes a processor configured to detect communication signals from an access point. The processor is also configured to determine an access point affiliation with a wireless charging pad based on data included in the communication signals, the data also providing charging pad compatibility characteristics. The processor is further configured to determine vehicle compatibility with the charging pad based on the compatibility characteristics and responsive to a vehicle being compatible with the charging pad, connect to the access point.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine that a first charging pad associated with a wireless access point is available for use;

instruct the access point to communicate connection credentials and charging pad compatibility characteristics;

receive a request from a vehicle computer, connected to the access point, to utilize the first charging pad;

determine vehicle compatibility with the first charging pad;

responsive to a requesting vehicle being compatible with the first charging pad, designate the first charging pad for use by the requesting vehicle;

determine if a second of a plurality of charging pads associated with the wireless access point is available for use or reservation, following designation of the first charging pad for use; and

responsive to a determination that a second charging pad is not available for use or reservation, instruct the access point to cease communication of credentials.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

set a countdown timer responsive to designating the first charging pad for use; and

instruct the access point to communicate time remaining on the countdown timer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to release the designation of the first charging pad for use by the vehicle, responsive to expiration of the countdown timer.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to terminate the countdown timer responsive to received indication that the vehicle has engaged with the charging pad.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine that a reserved time for use of the charging pad by a reserving vehicle is within a predefined threshold of a present time; and

notify the requesting vehicle that charging will cease.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to:

cease charging responsive to the notifying; and

send a request to the requesting vehicle to leave the charging pad.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine that a reserved time for use of the charging pad by a reserving vehicle is within a predefined threshold of a present time;

instruct the access point to search for the reserving vehicle; and

instruct the access point to communicate connection credentials and charging pad compatibility characteristics to the reserving vehicle, responsive to the access point establishing communication with the reserving vehicle.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

responsive to a vehicle request to use a charging pad, communicating charging compatibility credentials via an access point receiving the request;

responsive to a vehicle indicating charging pad compatibility based on the compatibility credentials, designating, via the access point, the charging pad for use by the vehicle; and

responsive to the designating, rejecting credential communication requests while all charging pads affiliated with the access point are all designated for use.