AC and DC charging via a single coupler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12095305-B2
Application number	US-202117564845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2021
Priority date	Dec 29, 2021
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods to provide both AC and DC power for charging battery systems. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus includes a coupler receivable by a power input of a rechargeable battery system, where the coupler includes: alternating current (AC) terminals configured to electrically engage AC input terminals of the power input and direct current (DC) terminals configured to electrically engage DC input terminals of the power input; a cable that includes a plurality of sets of conductors including a set of AC conductors coupled to the AC terminals and a set of DC conductors coupled to the DC terminals, wherein the set of AC conductors is configured to be selectively coupled to an AC power source and the set of DC conductors is configured to be selectively coupled to a DC power source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first power dispenser to couple, via a first coupler, with a first power input of a first rechargeable battery system, wherein the first coupler includes:
a body;
alternating current (AC) terminals disposed within the body and configured to electrically engage AC input terminals of the first power input;
direct current (DC) terminals disposed within the body and configured to electrically engage DC input terminals of the first power input;
a cable coupled to the body of the first coupler that includes a first set of AC conductors coupled to the AC terminals and a separate first set of DC conductors coupled to the DC terminals, wherein the first set of AC conductors is configured to be selectively coupled with an AC power source disposed at an end of the cable opposite the body of the coupler and the first set of DC conductors is configured to be selectively coupled with a DC power source disposed at an end of the cable opposite the body of the coupler;

a second power dispenser to couple, via a second coupler, with a second power input of a second rechargeable battery system, wherein the second coupler includes:
a second set of AC conductors to couple with the AC power source; and
a separate second set of DC conductors to couple with the DC power source; and

a controller to:
select, based on a condition of the first rechargeable battery system or the second rechargeable battery system, one of the first power dispenser or the second power dispenser; and
generate a control signal to couple the DC power source with the selected one of the first power dispenser or the second power dispenser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the controller to:
select, based on the condition of the first rechargeable battery system or the second rechargeable battery system, a second one of the first power dispenser or the second power dispenser; and
generate, responsive to the selection of the second one of the first power dispenser or the second power dispenser, control signals to couple the AC power source with the second one of the first power dispenser or the second power dispenser.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising the controller to:
generate control signals to couple the set of AC conductors with the AC power source to precondition the rechargeable battery system for charging, based on the condition of the first rechargeable battery system or the second rechargeable battery system;
determine the battery is preconditioned;
generate control signals to decouple the set of AC conductors from the AC power source based on the determination that the battery is preconditioned; and
generate control signals to couple the set of DC conductors to the DC power source to charge the rechargeable battery system based on the determination that the battery is preconditioned.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , comprising the controller to:
determine an unavailability of the DC power source; and
generate control signals to couple the set of AC conductors to the AC power source to charge the rechargeable battery system response to the determined unavailability.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler is a Combined Charging System coupler.

6. A system comprising:
a first power dispenser to couple, via a first coupler, with a first power input of a first rechargeable battery system, wherein the first coupler includes:
a first alternating current (AC) power dispenser electrically couplable to an AC power source and configured to selectively couple the AC power source to a first rechargeable battery system; and
a first direct current (DC) power dispenser electrically couplable to a DC power source and configured to selectively couple the DC power source to the first rechargeable battery system;
a first coupler receivable by the first power input, wherein the coupler includes:
a body;
AC terminals disposed within the body and configured to electrically engage AC input terminals of the first power input;
DC terminals disposed within the body and configured to electrically engage DC input terminals of the first power input; and
a cable coupled between an output of first dispenser and the body of the first coupler that includes a first set of AC conductors coupled to the AC terminals and a separate first set of DC conductors coupled to the DC terminals, wherein the first set of AC conductors is configured to be selectively coupled with the AC power source and the set of DC conductors is configured to be selectively with the DC power source;

a second power dispenser to couple, via a second coupler, with a second power input of a second rechargeable battery system, wherein the second coupler includes:
a second set of AC conductors to couple with the AC power source; and
a separate second set of DC conductors to couple with the DC power source; and

a controller to:
determine a condition of the first rechargeable battery system or the second rechargeable battery system;
select, based on the condition, one of the first power dispenser or the second power dispenser; and
generate a control signal to couple the DC power source with the selected one of the first power dispenser or the second power dispenser.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
a maximum rate of charge provided by the DC power source exceed a maximum rate of charge provided by the AC power source; and
the condition of the first rechargeable battery system or the second rechargeable battery system comprises:
a state of charge of the first rechargeable battery system; and
a state of charge of the second rechargeable battery system.

8. The system of claim 6 , comprising the controller to:
generate control signals to couple the AC power source to the rechargeable battery system via the coupler to precondition the first rechargeable battery system based on the condition of the first rechargeable battery system or the second rechargeable battery system; and
based on a determination that the battery is preconditioned, generate control signals to:
decouple the AC power source from the first rechargeable battery system; and
couple the DC power source to the coupler to charge the first rechargeable battery system.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
a quantity of power dispensers exceeds a quantity of DC power sources.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
a quantity of power dispensers exceeds a quantity of AC power sources.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first coupler is a Combined Charging System coupler.

12. A method comprising:
detecting a connection between a first coupler coupled to a first power dispenser by a first cable disposed between the coupler and an output of the first power dispenser to a power input of a first rechargeable battery system, a body of the first coupler including first alternating current (AC) terminals coupled to a set of first AC conductors disposed within the cable and first direct current (DC) terminals coupled to a separate first set of DC conductors disposed within the first cable;
detecting a connection between a second coupler coupled to a second power dispenser by a second cable disposed between the coupler and an output of the second power dispenser to a power input of a second rechargeable battery system, a body of the second coupler including second alternating current (AC) terminals coupled to a set of second AC conductors disposed within the cable and second direct current (DC) terminals coupled to a separate second set of DC conductors disposed within the second cable;
determining a condition of the first rechargeable battery system or the second rechargeable batte

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Underhill Kyle

Classifications

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J7/875

  Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation · CPC title

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H02J7/933

  the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters · CPC title

• H02J7/02 Primary

  for charging batteries from AC mains by converters · CPC title