Method of docking an electric vehicle for charging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9878637-B2
Application number	US-201514980672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A method of docking an electric vehicle at a charging station may include identifying the vehicle as it approaches the charging station and transmitting a distance parameter from the charging station to the vehicle. The distance parameter may be a measure of distance. The method may also include determining a desired speed of the vehicle based on the distance parameter using an algorithm in the vehicle, and controlling the vehicle to attain the determined desired speed.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of docking an electric vehicle at a charging station, comprising:
computing a distance parameter using a control system of the charging station at multiple times, the distance parameter at each time of the multiple times being indicative of a distance that an approaching vehicle has to travel to make electrical contact with the charging station at that time;
transmitting the computed distance parameter from the control system of the charging station to a control unit of the vehicle;
receiving the distance parameter computed by the control system of the charging station at the control unit of the vehicle;
calculating a desired speed of the vehicle, using the control unit of the vehicle, based on the received distance parameter, wherein
(a) the desired speed calculated using the distance parameter computed at a first time of the multiple times is a first constant value of speed,
(b) the desired speed calculated using the distance parameter computed at a second time of the multiple times decreases from the first constant value to a second value of speed, and
(c) the desired speed calculated using the distance parameter computed at a third time of the multiple times is a third constant value of speed lower than the first constant value; and

automatically controlling a speed of the vehicle to attain the calculated desired speed.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including lowering a charge head of the charging station to rest on a roof of the vehicle when the desired speed is at the third constant value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein (d) the desired speed calculated using the distance parameter computed at a fourth time of the multiple times decreases from the third constant value to zero.

4. The method of claim 3 , further including sliding electrodes of the charging station on electrodes of the vehicle when the desired speed is decreasing from the third constant value to zero.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electric vehicle is a bus.

6. A method of docking an electric vehicle at a charging station, comprising:
computing a distance parameter using a control system of the charging station at multiple times, the distance parameter at each time of the multiple times being indicative of a distance that an approaching vehicle has to travel to make electrical contact with the charging station at that time;
transmitting the computed distance parameter from the control system of the charging station to a control unit of the vehicle;
receiving the distance parameter computed by the control system of the charging station at the control unit of the vehicle;
calculating a desired speed of the vehicle, using the control unit of the vehicle, based on the received distance parameter, wherein
(a) the desired speed calculated using the distance parameter computed at a first time of the multiple times is a first constant value of speed,
(b) the desired speed calculated using the distance parameter computed at a second time of the multiple times decreases from the first constant value to a second value of speed,
(c) the desired speed calculated using the distance parameter computed at a third time of the multiple times is a third constant value of speed lower than the first constant value, and
(d) the desired speed calculated using the distance parameter computed at a fourth time of the multiple times decreases from the third constant value to zero; and

automatically controlling a speed of the vehicle to attain the calculated desired speed.

7. The method of claim 6 , further including lowering a charge head of the charging station to rest on a roof of the vehicle when the desired speed is at the third constant value.

8. The method of claim 6 , further including sliding electrodes of the charging station on electrodes of the vehicle when the desired speed is decreasing from the third constant value to zero.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the electric vehicle is a bus.

Assignees

• Proterra Inc

Inventors

• Simonini Matthew D
• Shah Keyur

Classifications

• B60L2200/18

  Buses · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L15/40

  Adaptation of control equipment on vehicle for remote actuation from a stationary place (devices along the route for controlling devices on rail vehicles B61L3/00; central rail-traffic control systems B61L27/00) · CPC title

• B60L53/11

  DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4 · CPC title

• Y04S30/14

  Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing · CPC title