Electric vehicle optical charging system and method of use

• US 10,632,852 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2016
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• 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): Isla, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dibenedetto, Michael N
• Application Number:
  US15/145,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20170136890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0015 Prevention of collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/06 Structure of the rollers or their carrying means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/08 Structure of the sliding shoes or their carrying means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/16 Devices for lifting and resetting the collector B60L5/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/18 using bow-type collectors in contact with trolley wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/32 by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops
• 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 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 : dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/30 : using light, e.g. lasers
• 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 7/35 : with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/806 : Arrangements for feeding power
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/807 : Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal
• 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

Abstract

Techniques for electric vehicle systems, and in particular to a vehicle optical charging system and method of use. In one embodiment, a system for vehicle optical charging comprises: an optical charging station configured to transmit an optical signal, the optical charging station comprising a directive element configured to direct the transmitted optical signal; a receiving vehicle comprising an electrical storage unit and a receiver configured to receive the transmitted optical signal, the receiver in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit; wherein the received optical signal enables charging of the electrical storage unit.

Claims

1. A system for vehicle optical charging, the system comprising:

an optical charging station that transmits an optical signal, the optical charging station comprising a directive element that directs the transmitted optical signal; and

a receiver that receives the transmitted optical signal, the receiver being in electrical communication with an electrical storage unit of a vehicle and being tunable in accordance with the received optical signal,

wherein the received optical signal enables charging of the electrical storage unit,

wherein the optical charging station transmits another optical signal to gather initial information on an atmosphere through which the optical signal travels and to gather aiming data for the optical signal,

wherein the another optical signal is at lower-power than the optical signal, and

wherein the optical charging station receives a reflected version of the optical signal to produce additional information on rapidly changing characteristics of the atmosphere.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is interconnected to the vehicle and 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 receiver and to the vehicle, wherein the actuator is configured to orient the receiver to receive the transmitted optical signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is one of an antenna and a PV array.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the vehicle is an electrically-powered vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a controller that determines if the vehicle requires charging.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the directive element comprises a station antenna.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the optical charging station further comprises a station controller configured to track a position of the receiver of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the station controller directs the station antenna to the tracked position of the receiver of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the transmitted optical signal is a laser signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein charging is performed while the vehicle is in motion.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the optical charging station further comprises deformable mirrors configured to introduce tailored distortions into the optical signal to compensate for atmospheric distortions determined from the information.

13. A method for vehicle optical charging, the method comprising:

determining, by a microprocessor, if an optical charging station is available for charging of a receiving vehicle;

requesting, by the microprocessor, transmission of an optical signal from the optical charging station to a receiver of the receiving vehicle;

orienting, by the microprocessor, the receiver to receive the optical signal;

receiving, by the receiver, the optical signal from the optical charging station, the receiver being in electrical communication with a receiving vehicle electrical storage unit;

receiving, by the receiver, another optical signal, the another optical signal providing initial information to the optical charging station on an atmosphere through which the optical signal travels and providing aiming data to the optical charging station for the optical signal, the another optical signal being transmitted and received at lower power than the optical signal;

reflecting, by the receiving, the optical signal such that the optical charging station produces additional information on rapidly changing characteristics of the atmosphere, and

changing at least one characteristic of the receiver in accordance with at least one of the optical signal and the another optical signal,

wherein the optical signal enables charging of the receiving vehicle electrical storage unit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting, by the microprocessor, a type of optical signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising operating an actuator interconnected to the receiver and to the receiving vehicle to orient the receiver to receive the optical signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiver is one of an antenna and a PV array.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiving vehicle is an electrically-powered vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising tracking a position of the receiver.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising directing a station antenna to the tracked position of the receiver.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the optical signal is a laser signal, wherein charging is performed while the receiving vehicle is in motion, and wherein the actuator is further configured to orient the receiver in at least a pitch and a yaw rotational position.