INDUCTIVE CHARGING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20110181240A1
• Filed: 01/04/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips IP Ventures B.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lord, John J., Zellers, Kristen J., Lord, Shawn C., Bachman, Wesley J., Weber, Richard J., Baarman, David W., Stoner, William T. JR., Taylor, Joshua B., Eurich, Sean T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,937,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• 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 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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: G01R 29/0814 Field measurements related to measuring influence on or from apparatus, components or humans EMC, EMI and similar testing in general G01R31/001, e.g. in ESD, EMI, EMC, EMP testing, measuring radiation leakage; detecting presence of micro- or radiowave emitters; dosimetry; testing shielding; measurements related to lightning
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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 charging system for an electric vehicle that assists in aligning a primary charging coil and a secondary coil. The system may include a wheel chock that raises the primary coil into alignment with the secondary coil when a tire enters the wheel chock. The system may include a primary that is recessed below the surface supporting the vehicle and is protected by a cover. The secondary coil may be protected and supported by a skid plate mounted to the vehicle. The system may include a charging circuit that is controlled by signals transmitted by a garage door opener transmitter or a garage door opener. The system may include sensors that detect the presence of an animal or object in the space between the primary coil and the secondary coil.

Claims

1. A primary charging system for charging a vehicle comprising:

a charging pedal adapted to pivot in response to a tire of the vehicle engaging the charging pedal; and

a primary charging coil for charging the vehicle, the primary coil attached to the charging pedal;

wherein the pivoting of the charging pedal places the primary charging coil in a position to inductively transfer power to a secondary coil mounted to the vehicle.

2. The primary charging system of claim 1 wherein the charging pedal includes a lever and a platform, the platform adapted to pivot about the lever, the primary charging coil mounted to the platform.

3. The primary charging system of claim 2 wherein the charging pedal is adapted to pivot about a wheel chock.

4. The primary charging system of claim 3 wherein at least a forward portion of the charging pedal is curved.

5. The primary charging system of claim 4 wherein the forward portion of the charging pedal is adapted to pivot forward as the tire rolls onto the lever.

6. The primary charging system of claim 1 including a second charging pedal for engaging a second tire of the vehicle, a crossbar connecting the charging pedal and the second charging pedal.

7. The primary charging system of claim 6 including a platform, the platform connected to the crossbar and the primary charging coil mounted to the platform.

8. The primary charging system of claim 7 wherein the platform is positioned at an approximate midpoint between the charging pedal and the second charging pedal.

9. The primary charging system of claim 7 wherein the charging pedal includes a charging pedal lever and the second charging pedal includes a second charging pedal lever, the charging pedal lever and the second charging pedal lever being curved and adapted to pivot forward as the tire and a second tire roll onto the charging pedal lever and the second charging pedal lever.

10. A communication system for a vehicle charger comprising:

a charging circuit including a charging circuit receiver,

wherein a signal received by the charging circuit receiver causes the charging circuit to one of awaken, activate to charge the vehicle, deactivate and transition into a low power sleep mode,

wherein the signal is transmitted in connection with one of opening and closing a garage door of a garage.

11. The communication system of claim 10 wherein when the vehicle is positioned outside of the garage and the garage door of the garage is closed, the signal received by the charging circuit receiver awakens the charging circuit to ready for charging,

wherein the signal is transmitted in connection with opening the garage door.

12. The communication system of claim 10 wherein if the vehicle is positioned inside of the garage and the charging circuit is not activated, the signal received by the charging circuit receiver activates the charging circuit to charge the vehicle,

wherein the signal is transmitted in connection with closing the garage door.

13. The communication system of claim 10 wherein if the vehicle is positioned inside of the garage and the charging circuit is activated, the signal received by the charging circuit receiver deactivates the charging circuit,

wherein the signal is transmitted in connection with opening the garage door.

14. The communication system of claim 10 wherein if the vehicle is positioned outside of the garage and the garage door is open, the signal received by the charging circuit receiver places the charging circuit in a low power sleep mode,

wherein the signal is transmitted in connection with closing the garage door.

15. The communication system of claim 10 including sensors that detect the presence of a vehicle to prevent activation of the charging circuit in error.

16. The communication system of claim 10 wherein the signal is transmitted by a garage door opener transmitter.

17. The communication system of claim 10 wherein the signal is transmitted by a garage door opener.

18. A method of controlling a charging circuit for a vehicle including:

receiving a signal with a charging circuit receiver, the signal transmitted by one of a garage door opener and a garage door opener transmitter in connection with one of a garage door opening and the garage door closing; and

in response to the signal, at least one of awakening the charging circuit, activating the charging circuit to charge the vehicle, deactivating the charging circuit and placing the charging circuit in a low power sleep mode.

19. A primary charging coil support structure including:

a primary charging coil housing, the primary charging coil housing recessed into a surface supporting a vehicle; and

a primary charging coil cover, the primary charging coil cover engaging the primary charging coil housing and protecting the primary charging coil,

wherein at least one recess defined by at least one of the primary charging coil housing and the primary charging coil cover receives the primary charging coil.

20. The primary charging coil support structure of claim 19 wherein the at least one recess is entirely defined by the primary charging coil housing.

21. The primary charging coil support structure of claim 19 wherein the at least one recess is entirely defined by the primary charging coil cover.

22. The primary charging coil support structure of claim 19 wherein the primary charging coil cover is a non-conductive material.

23. The primary charging coil support structure of claim 22 wherein the primary charging coil cover is capable of supporting the vehicle.

24. The primary charging coil support structure of claim 23 wherein a top surface of the primary charging coil cover is positioned in approximately the same plane as the surface supporting the vehicle.

25. The primary charging coil support structure of claim 23 wherein the primary charging coil housing is capable of moving to position the primary charging coil in a desired position.

26. A secondary coil support structure including:

an outer layer, the outer layer being wear resistant;

an inner layer for protecting a secondary coil; and

a shielding layer positioned above the secondary coil to provide protection from the magnetic field generated during inductive power transfer between a primary coil and the secondary coil,

wherein the secondary coil support structure is adapted to be mounted to a vehicle.

27. The secondary coil support structure of claim 26 wherein the inner layer is a non-conductive material.

28. The secondary coil support structure of claim 27 wherein the outer layer is a non-conductive material.

29. The secondary coil support structure of claim 28 wherein the shielding layer includes a mail shielding layer and a secondary shielding layer.

30. The secondary coil support structure of claim 29 wherein the outer layer is a Kevlar®

composite.

31. The secondary coil support structure of claim 27 wherein the inner layer supports the secondary coil.

32. A system for charging a vehicle including:

a primary coil recessed below a surface supporting the vehicle;

a secondary coil mounted to the vehicle;

circuitry associated with the primary coil and the secondary coil, the circuitry allowing for inputting either of wired or wireless power to the vehicle.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the circuitry includes a switch circuit that allows for switching between wired and wireless power input to the vehicle.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the circuitry includes monitoring circuits that monitor the power and phase of the input voltage and monitor the temperature of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the circuitry includes a rectifier circuit for rectifying AC voltage to DC voltage.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the circuitry includes an inverter circuit for converting DC voltage to AC voltage.

37. A motion detection system for detecting an object moving in a space between a primary coil and a secondary coil including:

at least one sensor for detecting the object, the at least one sensor connected to a charging circuit such that the primary coil will not activate if an object is detected by the at least one sensor;

at least one of an alarm, a vibration and a deterring means for encouraging the object to vacate the space between the primary coil and the secondary coil,

wherein the at least one sensor will trigger the at least one of an alarm, a vibration and a deterring means when an object is detected by the at least one sensor.

38. A primary charging coil support structure including:

a wheel chock;

a primary charging coil positioned in the wheel chock; and

at least one alignment track defined in the wheel chock, the at least one alignment track configured to guide at least one wheel of a vehicle,

wherein at least a portion of the at least one alignment track includes a well,

wherein the wheel chock imitates natural terrain and hides the primary charging coil.