Charge coupler and method for autonomously charging vehicle batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022016989-A1
Application number	US-202117486298-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 27, 2021
Priority date	Dec 10, 2018
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for charging a battery carried by a vehicle may include a charging box for coupling to a vehicle chassis and including interface electrical contacts electrically coupled to the battery. The system may also include a charge coupler including coupler electrical contacts for electrically coupling to the interface electrical contacts from under the vehicle and configured to be coupled to an electrical power supply. The charging box may include an interface activation surface, and the charge coupler may include a housing for enclosing the coupler electrical contacts and including a base for supporting the coupler electrical contacts, a coupler activation surface opposite the base, an opening, and a door configured to open the opening to expose the coupler electrical contacts as the interface activation surface contacts the coupler activation surface and moves the coupler activation surface toward the base.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method for charging a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a charging box comprising an interface electrical contact and an interface activation surface, the method comprising:
maneuvering the vehicle over a charge coupler comprising a coupler electrical contact, the charge coupler comprising a coupler activation surface configured to face an underside of the vehicle; lowering the interface activation surface relative to the charge coupler, such that the interface activation surface contacts the coupler activation surface of the charge coupler; continuing to lower the interface activation surface; exposing the coupler electrical contact of the charge coupler to the underside of the vehicle, such that the interface electrical contact of the charging box contacts the coupler electrical contact of the charge coupler; and electrically coupling the vehicle to an electrical power source via the coupler electrical contact and the interface electrical contact.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein lowering the interface activation surface comprises adjusting an adjustable suspension system to lower the vehicle relative to a support surface on which the vehicle is supported.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein exposing the coupler electrical contact comprises causing a door coupled to the charge coupler to move from a first position closing an opening in the charge coupler to a second position opening the opening in the charge coupler, thereby exposing the coupler electrical contact to the interface electrical contact.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a linkage coupling the activation surface to the door, such that as the activation surface moves from an extended position toward a compressed position, the door moves from the first position to the second position.

6 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising raising the vehicle and causing the interface activation surface to rise relative to a support surface on which the vehicle is supported, such that a housing closes, so that the coupler electrical contact is no longer exposed.

7 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising preventing the coupler electrical contact from being exposed unless a threshold portion of a weight of the vehicle is applied to the coupler activation surface.

8 . A method for charging a vehicle having a first charge interface facing a support surface on which the vehicle is supported, the method comprising:
maneuvering the vehicle over a charge coupler comprising a second charge interface, the charge coupler configured to be electrically coupled with an electrical power source; adjusting a position of the first charge interface relative to the second charge interface, to align the first charge interface with the second charge interface; coupling the first charge interface with the second charge interface; electrically coupling the charge coupler to the electrical power source in response to coupling the first charge interface and the second charge interface; and charging the vehicle with energy from the electrical power source via the charge coupler.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
identifying, by a sensor array of the vehicle, physical markers, wherein maneuvering the vehicle comprises aligning the second charge interface with the first charge interface based at least in part on the identifying the physical markers.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein maneuvering the vehicle comprises aligning the second charge interface with the first charge interface based on a near-field communication signal between the first charge interface and the charge coupler.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein coupling the first charge interface with the second charge interface comprises establishing an inductive charging path.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting a current, temperature, voltage, or impedance from the inductive charging path wherein the adjusting a position of the first charge interface is based at least in part on the detecting the current, temperature, voltage, or impedance.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein adjusting the position of the first charge interface with the second charge interface comprises lowering the first charge interface to be electrically coupled with the second charge interface.

14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining that moving the first charge interface increases a charging potential; and maneuvering the vehicle based at least in part on determining that moving the first charge interface increases the charging potential.

15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein coupling the first charge interface with the second charge interface comprises adjusting an adjustable suspension system to lower the vehicle relative to the support surface.

16 . The method of claim 8 , wherein adjusting the first charge interface comprises changing a position of the first charge interface along the support surface in response to determining that changing the position increases a charging potential.

17 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
maneuver a vehicle having a first charge interface along a support surface over a charge coupler having a second charge interface; align, along the support surface, the first charge interface and the second charge interface; reposition the first charge interface or the second charge interface along a vertical axis to modify a vertical distance between the first charge interface and the second charge interface; electrically couple the charge coupler to an electrical power source in response to coupling the first charge interface and the second charge interface; and charge a battery of the vehicle using the electrical power source via the charge coupler.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the instructions to maneuver the vehicle comprise further instructions to align the second charge interface with the first charge interface based on a near-field communication signal between the first charge interface and the charge coupler.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the instructions to maneuver the vehicle comprise further instructions to align the second charge interface with the first charge interface by identifying physical markers using a sensor array of the vehicle.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the instructions to maneuver the vehicle comprise further instructions to change a position of the first charge interface along the support surface in response to determining that changing the position increases a charging potential.

21 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the instructions to reposition the first charge interface or the second charge interface comprises further instructions to lower the first charge interface to contact the second charge interface.

Assignees

• Zoox Inc

Inventors

• Boecker Moritz
• Booth Bryan Emrys
• Kentley-Klay Timothy David
• Osellame Richard Luke
• Stoffel Christopher John

Classifications

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J7/70 Primary

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• B60L53/16 Primary

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title