Integrated vehicle charging panel system and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10093195-B2
Application number	US-201615198034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2015
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A system for vehicle charging comprising: an electrical storage unit disposed on a charge receiving vehicle; at least one integrated charging panel in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit, the at least one integrated charging panel configured to receive a charge at a charging site; a charge receiving vehicle controller configured to communicate with the charging site to determine a compatibility of the at least one integrated charging panel to receive charging from the charging site; wherein the at least one integrated charging panel receives a charge from the charging site wherein the charge receiving vehicle is charged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for vehicle charging, the system comprising:
an electrical storage unit disposed on a charge receiving vehicle;
at least one integrated charging panel in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel is configured to receive a charge at a charging site, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel is configured to operate in a plurality of states including a retracted state and a deployed state, and wherein the at least one integrated charging panel conforms to an exterior surface shape of the charge receiving vehicle when in the retracted state; and
a charge receiving vehicle controller configured to communicate with the charging site to determine a compatibility of the at least one integrated charging panel to receive charging the charge from the charging site.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charging site further comprises a charging plate configured to provide the charge to the at least one integrated charging panel.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the charging plate is configured to provide the charge to the at least one integrated charging panel via induction charging.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charge receiving vehicle includes a vehicle database comprising charging compatibility data.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one integrated charging panel is disposed on the charge receiving vehicle at a vehicle location, the vehicle location including at least one of a door panel, a roof, a hatchback panel, a hood, a quarter panel, an undercarriage, or a bumper.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one integrated charging panel is disposed on the charge receiving vehicle at a location other than an undercarriage of the charge receiving vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charge receiving vehicle controller is configured to move the at least one integrated charging panel between the retracted state and the deployed state.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charging site includes a charging plate configured to provide the charge to the at least one integrated charging panel, wherein an actuator is interconnected to the at least one integrated charging panel, actuator being configured to maneuver the at least one integrated charging panel relative to the charging plate.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising at least one range sensor interconnected to the at least one integrated charging panel, the at least one range sensor configured to measure a distance between the at least one integrated charging panel and the charging plate.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one integrated charging panel is positioned at a selectable desired separation distance from the charging plate, and wherein the selectable desired separation distance is selected from a vehicle database.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the positioning of the selectable desired separation distance is performed automatically by actuation of the actuator.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the actuator is configured to move the at least one integrated charging panel in both a vertical and a lateral direction.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one integrated charging panel includes a plurality of integrated charging panels.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of integrated charging panels is disposed on the charge receiving vehicle at a vehicle location including at least one of a door panel, a roof, a hatchback panel, a hood, a quarter panel, an undercarriage, or a bumper.

15. A method for charging a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, by a microprocessor, if charging of an electrical storage unit of a charge receiving vehicle is desired;
communicating with a charging site to determine a compatibility of at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle to receive charge from the charging site;
determining, by the microprocessor, a compatible charging configuration between the charge receiving vehicle and the charging site to enable charging of the charge receiving vehicle;
deploying, by the microprocessor, the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle to receive the charge from the charging site, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle is in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit of the charge receiving vehicle; and
retracting the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle to a retracted state, wherein the at least one integrated charging panel conforms to an exterior surface shape of the charge receiving vehicle when in the retracted state.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the charging site includes a charging plate configured to provide the charge to the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the charge is provided via induction charging.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle is disposed on the charge receiving vehicle at a vehicle location comprising a door panel, a roof, a hatchback panel, a hood, a quarter panel, an undercarriage and a bumper.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
positioning the at least one integrated charging panel of the charge receiving vehicle at a selectable desired separation distance from the charging plate.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the selectable desired separation distance is selected from a vehicle database.

Assignees

• Nio Usa Inc

Inventors

• Ricci Christopher P

Classifications

• B60L5/005

  without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line · CPC title

• B60L53/65

  involving identification of vehicles or their battery types · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/38

  specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title