Systems, apparatus, and methods of charging electric vehicles

• US 9,592,742 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FreeWire Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FreeWire Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Sosinov, Arcady, Kamal Bahl, Sanat, Mehdiratta, Sameer, Kothari, Love
• Primary Examiner(s): Diao, M'baye
• Application Number:
  US14/681,415
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• 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 53/14 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 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/54 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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

One aspect of the present invention pertains to a method of charging electric storage devices such as batteries. Another aspect of the present invention pertains to a system for charging electric storage devices such as batteries. Another aspect of the present invention pertains to a mobile apparatus for charging electric storage devices such as batteries.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charger comprising:

an electric power supply;

a power coupling element connected with the electric power supply to transfer electric energy derived from the electric power supply to an electric vehicle;

a motorized cart having the electric power supply mounted thereon for movement of the electric power supply from a first location to a second location; and

a control and communication system connected with the motorized cart so that the electric vehicle charger can move from the first location to the second location by remote control and/or commands from the control and communication system.

2. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the electric power supply comprises a battery, a fuel-cell, a capacitor, a connection to an electric power line, or combinations thereof.

3. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the electric power supply comprises a hardwired connection to an electric grid and/or a remote power system.

4. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the electric power supply comprises a chemical fuel driven electricity generator.

5. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the electric power supply comprises an internal combustion engine driven electricity generator.

6. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the power coupling element comprises a conductive connector to conduct electric power to charge the electric vehicle.

7. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the power coupling element comprises a coil to inductively provide electric power to charge the electric vehicle.

8. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the control and communication system comprises a computer, a central processing unit, a microprocessor, an electronic memory, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or combinations thereof.

9. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising a remote controller for controlling movement of the electric vehicle charger.

10. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising a remote controller comprising a computer, a mobile computer, and/or a tablet computer for controlling movement of the electric vehicle charger.

11. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the control and communication system comprises a global position system to provide location information.

12. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising one or more impediment sensors responsive to the presence of physical impediments and connected to the control and communication system to provide data.

13. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising one or more power supply sensors responsive to the operational state of the power supply and connected to the control and communication system to provide data.

14. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising the control and communication system being capable of directing the electric vehicle charger from the first location to the second location using global positioning satellite coordinates, remote control instructions, a signal from the second location, a signal from a wireless network, or combinations thereof.

15. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising the control and communication system being capable of directing the charger to a location proximate the location of a discharged electric vehicle using global positioning satellite coordinates, remote control instructions, a signal from the discharged electric vehicle, a signal from a wireless network, or combinations thereof.

16. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising one or more electric power supply sensors responsive to the operational state of the electric power supply and connected to the control and communication system to provide data to the control and communication system, the control and communication system being capable of directing the charger to a base station for recharging in response to a predetermined state of the electric power supply using global positioning satellite coordinates, remote control instructions, a signal from the base station, a signal from a wireless network, or combinations thereof.

17. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising a robotic arm supported by the motorized cart, the robotic arm being attached to the electric power connector for movement of the electric power connector so as to position the electric power connector to couple electric energy to charge the electric vehicle.

18. The electric vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising a robotic arm supported by the motorized cart, the robotic arm being attached to the electric power connector for movement of the electric power connector so as to position the electric power connector to couple electric energy to charge the electric vehicle;

the control and communication system being connected with the robotic arm to control the movement of the robotic arm and/or control the movement of the robotic arm with commands from a remote controller.

19. A system for charging electric vehicles, the system comprising:

an electric vehicle charger according to claim 1;

an information and/or communication device;

a base station; and

a data network connecting the an electric vehicle charger, the information and/or communication device, and the base station for communication.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the base station is connected with an electric grid and/or an electric power generator.