Battery charging system and apparatus and method for electric vehicle

• US 9,662,995 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2015
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wu, E-In
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US14/791,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20170008412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• 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 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A battery charging system for an electric vehicle includes a movement control module configured to control a robot arm of a charging apparatus to move; a charging control module configured to control a feeding coupler of the battery charging apparatus to output electric current; a camera module configured to obtain an image of a location of a receiving coupler of the electric vehicle; and a comparing module configured to compare the image with a predefined image stored in a memory unit, the predefined image being of an open state of a receiving coupler of a same model as the electric vehicle. The movement control module controls the feeding coupler couple with the receiving coupler, when the image matches with the predefined image. The present disclosure also supplies a battery charging apparatus and a battery charging method.

Claims

1. A battery charging system for an electric vehicle comprising:

at least one processing unit; and

a plurality of modules coupled to the at least one processing unit, each of the plurality of modules including instructions to be executed by one or more of the at least one processing unit, the plurality of modules comprising;

a movement control module configured to cause the at least one processing unit to control a robot arm of a charging apparatus to move;

a charging control module configured to cause the at least one processing unit to control a feeding coupler of the battery charging apparatus to output electric current;

a camera module configured to cause the at least one processing unit to obtain an image of a location of a receiving coupler of the electric vehicle; and

a comparing module configured to cause the at least one processing unit to compare the image with a predefined image stored by a memory unit, the predefined image being of an open state of a receiving coupler of a same model as the electric vehicle,

wherein the movement control module is further configured to control the feeding coupler to couple with the receiving coupler when the image of the location of the receiving coupler matches the predefined image.

2. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the movement control module is capable of controlling the robot arm move the feeding coupler towards the receiving coupler, according to a predefined position of the receiving coupler of the same model as the electric vehicle, the predefined position of the receiving coupler of the same model as the electric vehicle stored in the memory unit.

3. The battery charging system of claim 2, wherein when the image of the receiving coupler matches the predefined image, the compare module is configured to obtain a positional deviation between the feeding coupler and the receiving coupler according to the image of the location of the receiving coupler and transmit a coupling signal comprising the positional deviation to the movement control module, the movement control module is capable of controlling the robot arm correct positions of the feeding coupler during moving.

4. The battery charging system of claim 1 further comprising a transmitting module, wherein the transmitting module is configured to cause the at least one processing unit to transmit a working mode of the charging apparatus in real time to a server.

5. The battery charging system of claim 1 further comprising a receiving module, wherein the receiving module is configured to cause the at least one processing unit to receive a reservation request and transmits to the memory unit.

6. The battery charging system of claim 5 further comprising an identification module, wherein the identification module is configured to determine whether information of electric vehicle and reservation time match information of the reservation request.

7. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the movement control module is further configured to receive a detecting signal from a detector to start the robot arm, the detector is configured to detect whether the electric vehicle is positioned within predetermined ranges with respect to the battery charging apparatus when the a tire of the electric vehicle actuates the detector.

8. The battery charging system of claim 1 further comprising a door control module 58, wherein the door control module is configured to control a protective door open or close.

9. A battery charging apparatus for an electric vehicle comprising:

a charging body;

a robot arm movably coupled to the charging body;

a feeding coupler coupled to the robot arm and configured to supply electric power to the electric vehicle;

a camera unit coupled to the feeding coupler and configured to capture an image of a location of a receiving coupler of the electric vehicle; and

a controller comprising;

at least one processing unit; and

a plurality of modules coupled to the at least one processing unit, each of the plurality of modules including instructions to be executed by one or more of the at least one processing unit, the plurality of modules comprising;

a movement control module configured to control the robot arm to move;

a charging control module configured to control the feeding coupler to output electric current;

a camera module configured to obtain an image of the location of the receiving coupler from the camera unit; and

a comparing module configured to compare the image with a predefined image stored by a memory unit, the predefined image being of an open state of a receiving coupler of a same model as the electric vehicle,

wherein the movement control module controls, when the image matches with the predefined image, the feeding coupler to couple to the receiving coupler.

10. The battery charging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the movement control module is capable of controlling the robot arm move the feeding coupler towards the receiving coupler, according to a predefined position of the receiving coupler of the same model as the electric vehicle, the predefined position of the receiving coupler of the same model as the waiting charging electric vehicle is stored in the memory unit.

11. The battery charging apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the image matches the predefined image, the compare module is configured to obtain a positional deviation between the feeding coupler and the receiving coupler according to the image and transmit a coupling signal comprising the positional deviation, the movement control module is capable of controlling the robot arm correct positions of the feeding coupler during moving according to the coupling signal.

12. The battery charging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing unit further comprises a transmitting module, the transmitting module is configured to transmit a working mode of the charging apparatus in real time to a server.

13. The battery charging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing unit further comprises a receiving module configured to receive a reservation request and the reservation request is stored in the memory unit.

14. The battery charging apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing unit further comprises an identification module, the identification module is configured to determine whether information of electric vehicle and reservation time matches information of the reservation request.

15. The battery charging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the movement control module is further configured to receive a detecting signal from a detector to start the robot arm, the detector is configured to detect whether the electric vehicle is positioned within predetermined ranges with respect to the battery charging apparatus when the a tire of the electric vehicle actuates the detector.

16. The battery charging apparatus of claim 9, the battery charging apparatus further comprises a protective door movably coupled to a sidewall of the charging body and configured to close the receiving portion, the charging body defines a receiving portion, the robot arm is capable of being received in the receiving portion.

17. The battery charging apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing unit further comprises a door control module, and the door control module is configured to control the protective door to open or close.

18. A battery charging method, comprising:

controlling a robot arm of the battery charging apparatus move the feeding coupler of the battery charging apparatus towards a receiving coupler of an electric vehicle, the feeding coupler spaced from the receiving coupler with a predefined distance;

obtaining an image of the receiving coupler;

comparing the image with a predefined image and determine whether the image matches with the predefined image, the predefined image being of an open state of a receiving coupler of a same model as the electric vehicle;

controlling the feeding coupler couple with the receiving coupler via the robot arm, when the image of the receiving coupler matches the predefined image;

controlling the feeding coupler supply current to the electric vehicle;

stopping to output electric current; and

controlling the robot arm to release the feeding coupler from the receiving coupler.

19. The battery charging method of claim 18, wherein before controlling a robot arm of the battery charging apparatus move the feeding coupler to and align with a receiving coupler of the electric vehicle, the battery charging method further comprising:

transmitting a working mode of the battery charging apparatus to a server;

receiving a reservation request from the server, the reservation request comprising vehicle information of the electric vehicle, reservation time, and geographical location of the electric vehicle; and

determining whether information of electric vehicle and reservation time match information of the reservation request.

20. The battery charging method of claim 18, wherein before controlling a robot arm of the battery charging apparatus move the feeding coupler to and align with a receiving coupler of the electric vehicle, the battery charging method further comprising:

controlling open a protective door of the battery charging apparatus and start the robot arm when the electric vehicle resists a detector positioned in a parking space corresponding to the charging apparatus.