Reconfigurable control architectures and algorithms for electric vehicle wireless energy transfer systems

Abstract

A control architecture for electric vehicle wireless power transmission systems that may be segmented so that certain essential and / or standardized control circuits, programs, algorithms, and the like, are permanent to the system and so that other non-essential and / or augmentable control circuits, programs, algorithms, and the like, may be reconfigurable and / or customizable by a user of the system. The control architecture may be distributed to various components of the wireless power system so that a combination of local or low-level controls operating at relatively high-speed can protect critical functionality of the system while higher-level and relatively lower speed control loops can be used to control other local and system-wide functionality.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 61 / 533,281 filed Sep. 12, 2011 and U.S. provisional patent application 61 / 566,450 filed Dec. 2, 2011.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]This disclosure relates to wireless energy transfer and methods for controlling the operation and performance of electric vehicle wireless power transmission systems.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]Energy or power may be transferred wirelessly using a variety of known radiative, or far-field, and non-radiative, or near-field, techniques as detailed, for example, in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 613,686 published on May 6, 2010 as US 2010 / 010909445 and entitled “Wireless Energy Transfer Systems,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 860,375 published on Dec. 9, 2010 as 2010 / 0308939 and entitled “Integrated Resonator-Shield Structures,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 222,915 published on Mar. 15, 2012...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a control system for charging electric vehicles wirelessly. The system is designed to be flexible and adaptable, with both essential and non-essential functions. These functions can be distributed across components of the system and may be reconfigurable or customizable by users. This allows for higher-level functions to be controlled without disrupting lower-level power electronics functions. The control system is scalable, enabling interactions with larger networks such as the internet and power grid. Overall, the controlling system improves the efficiency, flexibility, and safety of wireless power charging for electric vehicles.

Problems solved by technology

However, if the control architecture is not segmented to offer some reconfigurable functions while protecting the critical functions of the wireless power system, changing certain control loops and / or adding additional hardware may disrupt the required low-level power delivery, reliability, and safety performance of the system.

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