Electric vehicle emergency charging system and method of use

• US 10,220,717 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (Shanghai Anbin Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nio Usa Inc.
• Inventors: Ricci, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trischler, John
• Application Number:
  US15/010,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20170136903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/00 Refuelling during flight filling or emptying fuel tanks B64D37/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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: Y04S 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

Techniques for electric vehicle systems, and in particular to an electric vehicle emergency charging system and method of use. In one embodiment, a system for charging a moving electric vehicle is disclosed, the system comprising: an electrical storage unit disposed on the electric vehicle; a charging panel in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit; a vehicle controller that determines if the electrical storage unit requires charging and configured to determine if an emergency external power source is available to charge the electrical storage unit; wherein the charging panel receives the charge from the emergency external power source and charges the electrical storage unit.

Claims

1. A system for charging an electric vehicle moving along a roadway, the system comprising:

an electrical storage unit disposed on the electric vehicle;

a charging panel in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit;

a vehicle controller that determines if the electrical storage unit requires charging and determines if an emergency external power source is available to charge the electrical storage unit, wherein the emergency external power source is a vehicle including a towed charging plate; and

a vehicle database including emergency charging data that positions and controls the charging panel relative to the towed charging plate of the emergency external power source;

wherein the vehicle controller retrieves a separation distance from the vehicle database, the separation distance defining a distance between the charging panel and the roadway, and wherein the towed charging plate is configured to position within the separation distance at a threshold distance from the charging plate and inductively charge the electrical storage unit without contacting the charging panel; and

wherein the charging panel receives a charge from the towed charging plate of the emergency external power source disposed at the threshold distance from the charging plate and inductively charges the electrical storage unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging panel is configured to operate in a plurality of states comprising a retracted state and a deployed state.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an actuator interconnected to the charging panel and to the electric vehicle, wherein the actuator is configured to move the charging panel to receive the charge.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising at least one range sensor configured to measure a first measured distance between a first point on the charging panel and a second point on the towed charging plate interconnected to the emergency external power source.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first point of the charging panel is positioned at a selectable desired separation distance from the second point on the towed charging plate, wherein the selectable desired separation distance is selected from a vehicle database.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the positioning of the first point of the charging panel to the selectable desired separation distance is performed automatically by actuation of the actuator.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle controller receives the first measured distance and automatically actuates the actuator to adjust the position of the charging panel to the desired separation distance.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the towed charging plate of the emergency external power source is suspended in a position above the roadway and below the charging panel of the electric vehicle, and wherein the towed charging plate includes an aerodynamic surface that stabilizes the position of the towed charging plate in the suspended position.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the charging plate is configured to extend from the emergency external power source to a position below the electric vehicle, and wherein a speed and movement of the electric vehicle is synchronized with a speed and movement of the emergency external power source while moving along the roadway.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a charging level of the charging is selectable from a vehicle database.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the towed charging plate includes wheels configured to roll along the roadway while separated from the charging panel.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the actuator is configured to move the charging panel in both a vertical and a lateral direction.

13. A method for charging an electric vehicle moving along a roadway, the method comprising:

determining, by a microprocessor, a charge value of an electrical storage unit disposed on the electric vehicle;

determining, by the microprocessor, if the charge value is below a selectable threshold value wherein charging of the electrical storage unit is required;

identifying, by the microprocessor, if an emergency external power source is available for charging of the electrical storage unit, wherein the emergency external power source is a vehicle including a towed charging plate;

retrieving, by the microprocessor, a separation distance from a vehicle database, the separation distance defining a distance between a charging panel of the electric vehicle and the roadway, and wherein the towed charging plate is configured to position within the separation distance at a threshold distance from the charging plate and inductively charge the electrical storage unit without contacting the charging panel; and

positioning, by the microprocessor, the charging panel of the electric vehicle a threshold distance from the towed charging plate, the charging panel positioned to receive inductive charging from the towed charging plate interconnected to the emergency external power source;

wherein the charging plate receives charging from the towed charging plate of the emergency external power source and inductively charges the electrical storage unit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

measuring, by a sensor, an alignment measurement between the charging panel and the towed charging plate;

transmitting, by the microprocessor, the alignment measurement to an alignment controller;

receiving, by the alignment controller, the alignment measurement;

determining, by the microprocessor, a required alignment adjustment; and

adjusting, by the microprocessor, the position of the charging panel by the required alignment adjustment.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the charging panel is configured to operate in a plurality of states comprising a retracted state and a deployed state.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising an actuator interconnected to the charging panel and to the electric vehicle, wherein the actuator is configured to move the charging panel to receive the charge.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein towed charging plate of the emergency external power source is suspended in a position above the roadway and below the charging panel of the electric vehicle, and wherein the towed charging plate includes an aerodynamic surface that stabilizes the position of the towed charging plate in the suspended position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the charging plate is configured to extend from the emergency external power source to a position below the electric vehicle, and wherein a speed and movement of the electric vehicle is synchronized with a speed and movement of the emergency external power source while moving along the roadway.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the towed charging plate includes wheels configured to roll along the roadway while separated from the charging panel.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the actuator is configured to move the charging panel in both a vertical and a lateral direction.