Method for charging micromobility and charging stand therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024067006-A1
Application number	US-202318297359-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 7, 2023
Priority date	Aug 31, 2022
Publication date	Feb 29, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for charging a micromobility and a charging stand therefor are provided. The charging stand includes a power device that supplies power, a mounting part including a charging part and a holding part configured to dock with at least one micromobility, a power conversion device including at least one converter or an inverter, and a control device that executes an operation for charging the at least one micromobility based on that the mounting part is mounted on the at least one micromobility. The control device receives power supplied from outside by means of the power device, converts the supplied power into a specified DC voltage, outputs at least a portion of the specified DC voltage to the charging part, converts the specified DC voltage into a specified AC voltage, and outputs at least a portion of the specified AC voltage to the charging part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A charging stand configured to receive and charge at least one micromobility device, the charging stand comprising:
a power device configured to supply power; a mounting part including a charging part and a holding part that are configured to receive the at least one micromobility device; a power conversion device including at least one converter or an inverter; and a control device configured to, based on the at least one micromobility device being received at the mounting part, execute an operation for charging the at least one micromobility device, wherein the control device is configured to:
receive power supplied from the power device,
convert the supplied power into a specified direct current (DC) voltage using the power conversion device,
output at least a portion of the specified DC voltage to the charging part,
convert the specified DC voltage into a specified alternating current (AC) voltage using the power conversion device, and
output at least a portion of the specified AC voltage to the charging part.

2 . The charging stand of claim 1 , wherein the charging part includes a wireless charging part that includes:
a housing defining an opening; a coil received at the opening and configured to wirelessly supply power to the at least one micromobility device; a front case covering a first surface of the coil, the first surface facing the at least one micromobility device; a rear case that covers a second surface opposite to the first surface of the coil and that includes a buffer spring facing the housing; and a hinge coupling the buffer spring to the housing.

3 . The charging stand of claim 1 , wherein the charging part includes a wireless charging part, and
wherein the control device is configured to:
based on a separation distance between the wireless charging part and the at least one micromobility device being within a specified distance, transmit the specified AC voltage to the at least one micromobility device using the wireless charging part.

4 . The charging stand of claim 3 , wherein the power conversion device includes an AC/DC converter and a DC/AC inverter, and
wherein the control device is configured to:
identify a load characteristic of the at least one micromobility device,
determine, based on the identified load characteristic, a magnitude of a voltage for charging the at least one micromobility device,
convert the supplied power into the specified DC voltage, using the AC/DC converter,
convert the specified DC voltage into the specified AC voltage having the determined magnitude, using the DC/AC inverter, and
transmit the specified AC voltage to the at least one micromobility device using the wireless charging part.

5 . The charging stand of claim 1 , wherein the charging part includes a wired charging part, and
wherein the control device is configured to:
based on the wired charging part and the at least one micromobility being connected to each other, transmit the specified DC voltage to the at least one micromobility device using the wired charging part.

6 . The charging stand of claim 5 , wherein the power conversion device includes an AC/DC converter and a DC/AC inverter, and
wherein the control device is configured to:
identify a load characteristic of the at least one micromobility device connected to the wired charging part,
determine, based on the identified load characteristic, a magnitude of a voltage for charging the at least one micromobility device,
convert the supplied power into the specified DC voltage having the determined magnitude, using the AC/DC converter, and
transmit the specified DC voltage to the at least one micromobility device using the wired charging part.

7 . The charging stand of claim 1 , further comprising:
a solar collector provided at the charging stand and including at least one solar panel configured to generate solar power; an energy storage configured to store the solar power; and a controller electrically connected to the solar collector and the energy storage, wherein the power conversion device includes a DC/DC converter and a DC/AC inverter.

8 . The charging stand of claim 7 , wherein the charging part includes a wireless charging part and a wired charging part, and
wherein the control device is configured to:
identify the solar power generated by the solar collector, using the controller,
output at least a portion of the identified solar power to the energy storage or the DC/DC converter by means of the controller,
convert the at least a portion of the solar power into the specified DC voltage, using the DC/DC converter, and output the specified DC voltage to the wired charging part or the DC/AC inverter,
convert the specified DC voltage into the specified AC voltage, using the DC/AC inverter, and output the specified AC voltage to the wireless charging part, and
transmit the specified DC voltage or the specified AC voltage to the at least one micromobility device using the wired charging part or the wireless charging part.

9 . The charging stand of claim 1 , further comprising:
a watt-hour meter configured to measure an amount of power transmitted to the at least one micromobility device using the mounting part; a power indicator lamp configured to display a power state of the charging stand using a lamp with a plurality of colors; and a power fuse and a protective relay provided in at least a portion of a transmission and reception path among the control device, the mounting part, and the at least one micromobility device.

10 . The charging stand of claim 1 , further comprising:
a main breaker and a plurality of sub-breakers, wherein the main breaker includes an earth leakage breaker, and wherein the plurality of sub-breakers include a power distribution breaker.

11 . The charging stand of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one display device configured to display content, wherein the control device is configured to:
display, based on a user being identified in a region adjacent to the charging stand, a charging state of each of the at least one micromobility device received at the mounting part on the at least one display device.

12 . The charging stand of claim 11 , wherein the control device is configured to:
display an advertisement on the at least one display device, and based on the user not being identified in the region adjacent to the charging stand, stop displaying the advertisement on the at least one display device.

13 . The charging stand of claim 11 , wherein the control device is configured to:
identify a user input for displaying an advertisement on the at least one display device, and display the advertisement on the at least one display device, based on identifying the user input.

14 . The charging stand of claim 7 , further comprising:
at least one display device configured to display content, wherein the control device is configured to:
based on the solar power being less than a threshold, block power transmitted to the at least one display device.

15 . The charging stand of claim 7 ,
wherein the mounting part includes a plurality of mounting parts that are electrically connected to the control device, wherein the control device is configured to:
based on the solar power being less than a threshold, identify power supply priorities or power blocking priorities of the plurality of mounting parts, and
supply power for charging the at least one micromobility device to the plurality of mounting parts, based on the power supply priorities or the power blocking priori

Assignees

• Huyndai Motor Company
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Na Ho Kwon
• Yoo Yong Kyu
• Shin Jae Dong

Classifications

• B60L53/126 Primary

  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 title

• B60L53/122

  Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil · CPC title

• B60L53/39

  with position-responsive activation of primary coils · CPC title

• B60L2200/24

  Personal mobility vehicles · CPC title

• B60L2210/42

  Voltage source inverters · CPC title