Vehicle charging system

• US 9,969,287 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Roberts, Daniel Paul, Mansur, William Najib, Dalrymple, Beth Ann, Malone, Mark Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US14/792,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20170008409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320108, 320109
• 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 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• 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 vehicle charging system may include a parking area, indicia, and a wireless charging station. The indicia may be disposed on the parking area and define a plurality of vehicle parking spots. The wireless charging station may include a primary charge coil and a mechanical conveyor having the primary charge coil mounted thereon. The mechanical conveyor may be configured to move the primary charge coil across and between the parking spots defined by the indicia.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging system comprising:

a parking surface having indicia defining multiple parking spots, a first channel extending across the parking spots, and a second channel within each of the multiple parking spots between the indicia and oriented substantially perpendicular to the first channel; and

a wireless charging station mounted beneath the parking surface and including a primary charge coil and a mechanical conveyor having the primary charge coil mounted thereon and being configured to move the primary charge coil across and between the multiple parking spots, wherein the mechanical conveyor includes a first portion disposed within the first channel and configured to move the primary charge coil across and between the parking spots, and a second portion disposed within at least one of the second channels and configured to move the primary charge coil longitudinally within a corresponding parking spot.

2. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the second portion is disposed on and carried by the first portion.

3. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the first portion is disposed on and carried by the second portion.

4. A vehicle charging system comprising:

a parking surface having parking spot indicia defining multiple parking spots;

a mechanical conveyor extending across the multiple parking spots, wherein the parking surface further has a first channel disposed beneath the parking surface and configured to receive a first portion of the mechanical conveyor, and a second channel extending longitudinally within each of the multiple parking spots, intersecting the first channel, and configured to receive a second portion of the mechanical conveyor; and

a wireless charging station disposed beneath the parking surface and at least partially on the mechanical conveyor, including

a proximity sensor disposed proximate the parking surface and configured to provide a signal indicative of a vehicle having a receiving coil entering one of the multiple parking spots,

a movable charging head, and

a control module programmed to, in response to the signal and to the vehicle coming to a stop, operate the movable charging head to position the movable charging head relative to the receiving coil.

5. The vehicle charging system of claim 4 wherein each of the second channels is disposed between corresponding parking spot indicia.

6. The vehicle charging system of claim 4 wherein operating the movable charging head to position the movable charging head relative to the receiving coil includes

translating the movable charging head along the first portion to laterally position the movable charging head relative to the receiving coil, and

in response to a misalignment of the movable charging head with the receiving coil along a vehicle longitudinal axis, translating the movable charging head along the second portion.

7. The vehicle charging system of claim 4 further comprising a first plate assembly disposed proximate the first channel and defining an opening through which the movable charging head extends when positioned relative to the receiving coil.

8. The vehicle charging system of claim 6 further comprising a second plate assembly disposed proximate the second channel and defining a second opening through which the movable charging head extends when positioned relative to the receiving coil.

9. The vehicle charging system of claim 4 wherein the control module is further programmed to, in response to a signal indicative of a second vehicle having a receiving coil entering another of the multiple parking spots and to the second vehicle coming to a stop, queue the second vehicle to be charged by the movable charging head.

10. The vehicle charging system of claim 9 wherein the control module is further programmed to, in response to completion of charging of the vehicle, cease charging and operate the movable charging head to translate from one of the multiple parking spots to the another of the multiple parking spots to position the movable charging head relative to the receiving coil of the second vehicle.

11. The vehicle charging system of claim 4 further comprising a wheel plate disposed above the first channel and defining an opening disposed proximate an intersection between the first channel and the second channel extending longitudinally within each of the multiple parking spots through which the movable charging head extends when positioned relative to the receiving coil.

12. The vehicle charging system of claim 4 wherein the movable charging head includes a lift mechanism and wherein the control module is further programmed to operate the lift mechanism to adjust an optimal air gap between the movable charging head and the receiving coil.

13. The vehicle charging system of claim 4 further comprising a visual indicator disposed proximate the parking surface and between the parking spot indicia, and spaced apart from the mechanical conveyor, wherein the visual indicator is configured to provide a visual target for a driver of a vehicle entering one of the multiple parking spots.

14. The vehicle charging system of claim 4 wherein the parking surface defines a recess between the first portion and indicia configured to receive a vehicle wheel to set a vehicle longitudinal position within one of the multiple parking spots.