Underbody charging of vehicle batteries

• US 10,682,921 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoox Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zoox Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Booth, Bryan Emrys, Boecker, Moritz, Ng, Robert Alan, Foley, Kyle Matthew, Liu, Da, Kentley-Klay, Timothy David
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/837,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20190176633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/30 by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/39 with position-responsive activation of primary coils
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/10 Sockets for co-operation with pins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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

A system for charging one or more batteries of a vehicle may include a charging box mounted to a vehicle to facilitate connection to a charge coupler from under the vehicle. The charge coupler may be configured to provide an electrical connection between an electrical power source and the charging box. A vehicle including the charging box may maneuver to a position above the charge coupler, after which electrical contacts of the charging box and the charge coupler may be brought into contact with one another. The charge coupler and/or the charging box may be configured to provide electrical communication between the electrical power source and the one or more batteries, so that the electrical power source may charge one or more of the batteries. Thereafter, the electrical contacts may be separated from one another, and the vehicle may maneuver away from the charge coupler.

Claims

1. A charge coupler comprising:

an electrical connector configured to be contacted and coupled to an electrical power source;

one or more electrical contacts configured to be electrically coupled to one or more electrical contacts of a vehicle from under the vehicle;

a receiver configured to receive a signal from a transmitter associated with the vehicle for activating the charge coupler and electrically connecting the electrical power source to the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle based at least in part on a distance between the receiver and the transmitter, the receiver comprising an inductive coupling configured to receive, wirelessly, an amount of electrical power and the signal comprising a power transmission; and

wherein, based at least in part on the signal, the electrical power source is electrically coupled to the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler, such that the electrical power source and the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle are electrically coupled to one another upon contact between the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler and the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle.

2. The charge coupler of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is configured to receive pins of a pin-type connector of the electrical power source.

3. The charge coupler of claim 1, further comprising an actuator configured to move the electrical contacts of the charge coupler along a direction of the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle.

4. The charge coupler of claim 1, further comprising an electrical connector configured to transmit one or more of data or electrical power between the charge coupler and the electrical power source.

5. The charge coupler of claim 1, wherein

activating the charge coupler comprises:

determining a power associated with the wireless power transmission meets or exceeds a threshold power; and

transmitting one or more data signals from the charge coupler.

6. The charge coupler of claim 5, wherein at least one of the one or more data signals is configured to cause the electrical power source to transmit electrical power.

19. The charge coupler of claim 1, wherein the charge coupler is further configured to:

determine that a voltage at the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler is at or above a threshold voltage; and

transmitting a signal to the vehicle indicating that the vehicle should remain in position over the charge coupler.

7. A method for charging one or more batteries of a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a charge coupler on a surface on which the vehicle is supported, the charge coupler comprising;

an electrical connector configured to be coupled to an electrical power source; and

one or more electrical contacts configured to be contacted by, and electrically coupled to, one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle;

detecting, via a wireless power transmission, that the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler and the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle are within a threshold distance of each other;

contacting the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle to the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler;

electrically connecting the charge coupler to the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle; and

transmitting power to the vehicle from the electrical power source to the vehicle via the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler based at least in part on detecting that the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler and the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle are within the threshold distance.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving at the charge coupler via an inductive coupling a power signal, the power signal comprising wirelessly transmitted power;

powering a circuit on the charge coupler based, at least in part, on the power signal;

generating, with the circuit, a control signal based, at least in part, on receiving the power signal;

transmitting the control signal to one or more of the vehicle or the electrical power source.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler and the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle are within a threshold distance of each other comprises determining an amount of power of the power signal.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein causing contact between the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler and the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle comprises raising the charge coupler.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrical contacts of the vehicle and the electrical contacts of the charge coupler are enclosed in a physical barrier comprising a resilient member.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the charge coupler is electrically coupled to the electrical power source based, at least in part, on detecting the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler and the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle are within a threshold distance of each other.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising separating the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle from the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler by lowering the charge coupler.

20. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that a voltage at the one or more electrical contacts of the charge coupler is at or above a threshold voltage; and

transmitting a signal to the vehicle indicating that the vehicle should remain in position over the charge coupler.

14. A charge coupler comprising:

an electrical connector configured to be coupled to an electrical power source;

one or more electrical contacts configured to be brought into contact with, and electrically coupled to, one or more electrical contacts of a vehicle from under the vehicle when the vehicle is within a threshold distance of the charge coupler; and

a receiver configured to receive a signal from a transmitter associated with the vehicle for activating the charge coupler and electrically connect the electrical power source to the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle based at least in part on the signal indicating the vehicle is within the threshold distance of the charge coupler, the receiver comprising an inductive coupling and the signal comprising a wireless power transmission; and

wherein activating the charge coupler comprises determining that a power associated with the wireless power transmission meets or exceeds a threshold power; and

transmitting one or more data signals from the charge coupler.

15. The charge coupler of claim 14, further comprising an actuator configured to move the housing toward the one or more electrical contacts of the vehicle based, at least in part, on the vehicle being within the threshold distance of the charge coupler.

16. The charge coupler of claim 14, further comprising an electrical connector configured to transmit one or more of data or electrical power between the charge coupler and the electrical power source.

17. The charge coupler of claim 16, further comprising a power cable coupled to the electrical connector and configured to be coupled to the electrical power source, the power cable comprising a ground cable, wherein at least one of the one or more data signals is configured to cause the electrical power source to transmit electric power.

18. The charge coupler of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more data signals comprises information that the vehicle is within the threshold distance of the charge coupler, the at least one signal being transmitted to the vehicle.