Method and system for charging an electric vehicle

• US 10,710,466 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kees, Donatus Andreas Josephine, Petridis, Anthemios Philemon
• Primary Examiner(s): Kleinman, Lail A
• Application Number:
  US15/340,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20170144559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• 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 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• 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 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• 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
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A method of positioning an electric vehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or similar vehicle relative to a charging point includes receiving at the vehicle a global positioning system (GPS) signal, receiving at the vehicle a global positioning system correction signal, correcting the global positioning system signal using the global positioning system correction signal, and positioning the vehicle relative to the charging point using the corrected global positioning system signal such that the vehicle can be charged by the charging point.

Claims

1. A method of positioning an electric vehicle relative to a charging point, comprising:

receiving at the vehicle, a global positioning system (GPS) signal and a GPS correction signal;

correcting the GPS signal using the GPS correction signal;

positioning the vehicle relative to the charging point using the GPS signal; and

responsive to the vehicle being within a threshold vicinity of the charging point, docking the vehicle at the charging point using the GPS correction signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the GPS correction signal is received from a stationary reference transmitter.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the GPS correction signal is received from a cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the GPS correction signal is received from a digital audio broadcasting signal.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising corroborating accuracy of the GPS correction signal by comparing a first GPS correction signal and a second GPS correction signal.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving at the vehicle positional data regarding position of the charging point such that the vehicle can determine the position of the charging point.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the positional data is transmitted from the charging point.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the docking the vehicle further includes positioning the vehicle using an automatic parking assist system of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the GPS correction signal enables the vehicle to be positioned within a range of approximately 10 cm relative to the charging point.

10. An electric vehicle comprising:

a receiver system configured to receive a global positioning system (GPS) signal and a GPS correction signal; and

a controller configured to (i) drive a vehicle to a charging point using the GPS signal, and responsive to the vehicle being within a threshold vicinity of the charging point, (ii) dock the vehicle at the charging point using the GPS signal corrected by the GPS correction signal.

11. The electric vehicle of claim 10 wherein the electric vehicle is configured to receive the GPS correction signal from the charging point.

12. The electric vehicle of claim 10 wherein the electric vehicle is configured to receive positional data of the charging point.

13. An electric vehicle charging system comprising:

a receiver system provided on an electric vehicle, the receiver system being configured to receive a global positioning system (GPS) signal and a GPS correction signal;

a charging point configured to charge the electric vehicle; and

a controller configured to (i) drive a vehicle to the charging point using the GPS signal, and responsive to the vehicle being within a threshold vicinity of the charging point, (ii) dock the vehicle at the charging point using the GPS signal corrected by the GPS correction signal.

14. The electric vehicle charging system of claim 13 further comprising a stationary reference transmitter configured to transmit the GPS correction signal.

15. The electric vehicle charging system of claim 14, wherein the charging point comprises the stationary reference transmitter.

16. The electric vehicle charging system of claim 14 wherein the GPS correction signal is received from a cellular network.

17. The electric vehicle charging system of claim 14 wherein the controller comprises a vehicle computing system.

18. The electric vehicle charging system of claim 14 wherein the charging point transmits the GPS correction signal for use by the electric vehicle.