Wireless charging for mobile electric vehicles

Abstract

A wireless vehicle charging system includes a first cluster charging pad that is wired to each other and configured to convert electrical energy into an electromagnetic field. The system further includes a first base station in communication with the first cluster charging pad. The first base station is programmed to receive information from an electric vehicle and send the information to a second base station in communication with a second cluster charging pad in the path of the electric vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electric vehicles, and more particularly, to the field of wireless charging of electric vehicles. Background Art

[0002] Some electric vehicles can be charged by plugging the vehicle battery into a charging station. Alternatively, some electric vehicles can be charged inductively. Inductive charging involves using a charging coil (sometimes called a "primary coil") to generate an electromagnetic field from an electric current. A receiving coil (sometimes called a "secondary coil") equipped on the electric vehicle receives the electromagnetic field and converts it into an electric current that charges the vehicle battery. Inductive charging is sometimes referred to as "wireless charging." Wireless charging can be performed in stationary mode or while the vehicle is moving. Summary of the invention

[0003] Mobile inductive charging involves embedding a charging mat (with an induction coil) into the road surface. The charging mat is connected to a power source and converts electrical energy from the power source into an electromagnetic field. A receiving coil on an electric vehicle traveling on the charging mat converts the electromagnetic field into electrical energy for charging the vehicle battery as the electric vehicle travels on the road.

[0004] Mobile inductive charging presents challenges. For example, a charging pad in a mobile inductive charging system can start generating electromagnetic energy in response to a request from an electric vehicle. Otherwise, keeping the charging pad running all the time may waste power. However, it takes time for the electric vehicle and the mobile inductive charging system to establish communication. In addition, the electric vehicle must establish communication with each cluster of charging pads it encounters. Therefore, additional support is required to manage information exchange and control charging in the case of mobility. Constantly establishing and re-establishing communication with different clusters of charging pads and the associated authorization and supporting infrastructure reduces the amount of time that inductive charging is available and places an additional burden on the infrastructure.

[0005] A solution includes base stations of different wireless charging systems to facilitate switching of electric vehicles between wireless charging systems. An example of a wireless vehicle charging system includes first cluster charging pads that are wired to each other and configured to convert electrical energy into an electromagnetic field. The wireless vehicle charging system further includes a first base station that communicates with the first cluster charging pad and is programmed to receive information from the electric vehicle and send the information to a second base station that communicates with a second cluster charging pad in the path of the electric vehicle.

[0006] In the wireless vehicle charging system, the information received from the electric vehicle and transmitted to the second base station may include at least one of vehicle identification information and charging session information.

[0007] In the wireless vehicle charging system, the first base station may be programmed to send information to the electric vehicle. In addition, the information sent from the first base station to the electric vehicle may include the charging capability of the first cluster. In this case, the information sent from the first base station to the electric vehicle may include the charging capability of the second cluster.

[0008] In the wireless vehicle charging system, the first base station may be programmed to determine that the electric vehicle is receiving power from the first cluster charging pad.

[0009] In the wireless vehicle charging system, the first base station may be programmed to determine that the electric vehicle is no longer receiving power from the first cluster charging pad. In this case, the first base station may be programmed to send the information to the second base station if it is determined that the electric vehicle is no longer receiving power from the first cluster charging pad. The first base station may also be programmed to send the information to the second base station before the electric vehicle reaches the second cluster charging pad.

[0010] In the wireless vehicle charging system, the first base station may be programmed to receive the path of the electric vehicle and select the second base station from a plurality of base stations to receive the information from the electric vehicle based at least in part on the path of the electric vehicle.

[0011] In the wireless vehicle charging system, the first base station may be programmed to upload information related to charging of the electric vehicle to a remote server.

[0012] In the wireless vehicle charging system, the first base station may be programmed to send information to the second base station.

[0013] In the wireless vehicle charging system, the first base station may communicate with the first cluster charging pad in wired communication and with the electric vehicle in wireless communication.

[0014] An example method includes receiving information from an electric vehicle at a first base station, the information relating to inductive charging of a propulsion battery of the electric vehicle by a first cluster charging pad. The method further includes wirelessly transmitting the information from the first base station to a second base station in communication with a second cluster charging pad in a path of the electric vehicle.

[0015] In the method, the information received from the electric vehicle and transmitted to the second base station may include at least one of vehicle identification information and charging session information.

[0016] The method may further include sending information from the first base station to the electric vehicle. In this case, the information sent from the first base station to the electric vehicle may include the charging capability of the first cluster and the charging capability of the second cluster.

[0017] The method may further include determining that the electric vehicle is receiving power from the first cluster charging pad.

[0018] The method may further include determining that the electric vehicle is no longer receiving power from the first cluster charging pad, and if it is determined that the electric vehicle is no longer receiving power from the first cluster charging pad, sending the information to the second base station. In this case, the information may be sent to the second base station before the electric vehicle reaches the second cluster charging pad.

[0019] The method may further include receiving the path of the electric vehicle, and selecting the second base station from a plurality of base stations to receive the information from the electric vehicle based at least in part on the path of the electric vehicle.

[0020] The method may further include wirelessly uploading information related to charging of the electric vehicle from the first base station to a remote server. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1A and Figure 1B Components of an exemplary electric vehicle and wireless charging system are shown.

[0022] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating example components of an electric vehicle.

[0023] Figure 3 is a flow chart of an example process that may be performed by the vehicle.

[0024] Figure 4 is a flow chart of an example process that may be performed by the wireless charging system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The elements shown may take many different forms and include multiple and / or alternative components and facilities. The exemplary components shown are not intended to be limiting. In fact, additional or alternative components and / or implementations may be used. In addition, unless explicitly stated, the elements shown are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0026] like Figure 1A and Figure 1BAs shown, an electric vehicle 100 receives a wireless (i.e., inductive) charge via a wireless charging system 105 incorporated into the roadway. Although shown as a sedan, the electric vehicle 100 may be any passenger or commercial vehicle having an electric propulsion motor 110 powered by an inductively chargeable propulsion battery 115, such as a car, truck, sport utility vehicle, crossover, van, minivan, taxi, bus, etc.

[0027] The wireless charging system 105 includes a charging pad 120 with a primary coil embedded in a road. When the electric vehicle 100 travels on the road and passes by the charging pad 120, the electric energy from the charging pad 120 is inductively provided to the electric vehicle 100 to charge the battery of the electric vehicle 100. That is, the primary coil of the charging pad 120 converts the current into an electromagnetic field. The electric vehicle 100 may include one or more coils (e.g., secondary coils) that convert the electromagnetic field output by the primary coil of the charging pad 120 into a current provided to the propulsion battery 115, thereby charging the propulsion battery 115.

[0028] The electric vehicle 100 exchanges certain information with the wireless charging system 105 before or during a wireless charging process (i.e., a process in which the battery of the electric vehicle 100 is charged by the electromagnetic field generated by the wireless charging system 105). The electric vehicle 100 may wirelessly send information to the wireless charging system 105, such as vehicle identification information, subscription information (e.g., information indicating the right of the electric vehicle 100 to use one or more wireless charging systems 105), charging session identification information (e.g., information indicating a specific charging session to distinguish it from other charging sessions), accounting information (e.g., billing and account information associated with the owner of the electric vehicle 100), service selection information (e.g., information indicating charging services available to the electric vehicle 100), charging parameters (e.g., technical details of the propulsion battery 115 and how it will be charged), etc. The electric vehicle 100 may further send other information, such as its planned path, direction, speed (if known).

[0029] The wireless charging system 105 can be divided into clusters 125. The first cluster 125A can include a set of primary coils, while the second cluster 125B can include another set of primary coils. The primary coils in a single cluster 125 can be electrically connected to each other and to a base station 130 (sometimes referred to as an "access point"). Each base station 130 is implemented by an antenna, circuit, chip, or other electronic component programmed to communicate via various wired and wireless communication protocols, as discussed in more detail below. The base stations 130 of different clusters 125 can communicate wirelessly with each other. That is, a first base station 130A that is in wired communication with the first cluster 125A can wirelessly communicate with a second base station 130B that is in wired communication with the second cluster 125B. The second base station 130B can be referred to as a "neighboring base station" together with any number of other base stations 130 within the communication range of the first base station 130A. In addition, each base station 130 can support any number of clusters 125. That is, a single base station 130 can support multiple clusters 125, or each base station 130 can support a single cluster 125. For simplicity, Figure 1B One base station 130 is shown for each cluster 125 .

[0030] The base stations 130 may further be programmed to communicate wirelessly over the telecommunications network 140. That is, the base stations 130 may be programmed to communicate with the gateway 135, implemented by circuits, chips, or other electronic components that allow access to the network 140 (e.g., a packet-switched network). In some cases, the gateway 135 may facilitate access to a satellite telecommunications network, a cellular telecommunications network, or the like. The base stations 130 may be programmed to communicate with each other and with the gateway 135 using any number of wired or wireless telecommunications protocols (e.g., WiFi IEEE802.11, cellular telecommunications protocols, etc.). The base stations 130 may be programmed to send messages to and receive messages from a remote server 145 (e.g., a remote computing device programmed to communicate with the base station 130, including receiving messages from and sending messages to the base station 130) via the network 140. For example, the base station 130 may send data associated with the use of the wireless charging system 105 to the remote server 145, which may process the data as described in more detail below. The usage may indicate, for example, that the electric vehicle 100 has used the wireless charging system 105, how much energy has been provided to the electric vehicle 100, etc. The remote server 145 may also be programmed to determine whether the vehicle 100 is authorized to use the wireless charging system 105. The remote server 145 may determine whether the vehicle 100 is authorized based on, for example, accounting information or other information that allows access to the wireless charging system 105 (such as information that authenticates the user, the vehicle 100, or both to the base station 130, the remote server 145, or both).

[0031] The base station 130 can also communicate wirelessly with the electric vehicle 100. Therefore, the electric vehicle 100 can transmit some information to the nearest base station 130 (for example, the base station 130 in wired communication with the cluster 125 that is currently providing the electromagnetic field to the electric vehicle 100), and the base station 130 that receives the information can send it to other neighboring base stations 130 or base stations 130 along the path of the electric vehicle 100. In this way, some information will be sent to the base station 130 located in front of the electric vehicle 100 but along the path of the electric vehicle 100, so the subsequent base station 130 can command the subsequent charging pad 120 to start providing the electromagnetic field immediately when the electric vehicle 100 arrives, without having to first perform a handshake operation, which may take up charging time.

[0032] For example, the electric vehicle 100 may send some information to the first base station 130A that it encounters during the charging session. That is, the electric vehicle 100 may send its identification information, session information, and accounting information to the first base station 130A upon reaching the first cluster 125A of the charging pads 120. The first base station 130A may send the identification information, session information, and accounting information to the second base station 130B along the path of the electric vehicle 100. In this way, the electric vehicle 100 does not have to provide all of this information upon reaching the second cluster 125B.

[0033] The electric vehicle 100 may also wirelessly receive information from certain base stations 130. For example, the electric vehicle 100 may receive information from one or more base stations 130 indicating the charging capabilities of the associated cluster 125, information about neighboring base stations 130, and the like.

[0034] The communication between the electric vehicle 100 and the base station 130 may be through any protocol or combination of wireless telecommunication protocols including, for example, WiFi (e.g., IEEE802.11ai, IEEE802.11r, IEEE802.11k, etc.). Other possible wireless communication protocols that the electric vehicle 100 may use to communicate with the base station 130 may include a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) protocol or other vehicle-to-infrastructure protocols, satellite telecommunication protocols, cellular telecommunication protocols, etc.

[0035] In some cases, the electric vehicle 100 may communicate with the base station 130 through the charging pad 120. That is, the electric vehicle 100 may send signals to the charging pad 120, and these signals may be modulated along the wired connection between the charging pads 120 and the wired connection from the charging pad 120 to the base station 130. In other words, certain signals from the electric vehicle 100 may be received at the base station 130 through the charging pad 120 rather than through direct wireless communication with the electric vehicle 100. The base station 130 may then send the information received via wired communication with the charging pads 120 of the cluster 125 to other base stations 130, such as other base stations 130 along the path of the electric vehicle 100. With this approach, periodic switching between base stations 130 is unnecessary.

[0036] Various WiFi (e.g., IEEE802.11) protocols are mentioned above. Multiple implementations of WiFi protocols may be involved in the foregoing methods. For example, IEEE802.11ai may be used to associate base stations 130 (e.g., access points) along the path of the electric vehicle 100. Other implementations, such as a combination of IEEE802.11r and IEEE802.11k, may be used to support roaming, because IEEE802.11r was not originally designed for vehicle speed movement, and IEEE802.11ai may provide a faster initial setup to manage higher speed connections.

[0037] As previously described, identification information, session information, and accounting information may be transmitted at each cluster 125. Furthermore, such information may be related at a higher level via communications with various remote servers 145 available via the communication network 140, such as through the gateway 135. Furthermore, service selection request parameters (which may include the charging capabilities of the cluster 125) may be sent to the electric vehicle 100 before the electric vehicle 100 begins a session and connects to the base station 130 associated with the cluster 125. Thus, the electric vehicle 100 may avoid wasting time establishing communications with a cluster 125 that cannot assist in charging the propulsion battery 115.

[0038] Service selection request parameters, which may include EV charging information and other information, may be provided to the electric vehicle 100 as part of a beacon / probe response between the electric vehicle 100 and the base station 130. The service selection request parameters may also be exchanged according to, for example, an access network query protocol (ANQP) request / response message according to IEEE82.11u. The service selection information may be grouped into multiple categories based on different values. Categories may be transmitted instead of all parameters individually. These parameters may include the power class of the electric vehicle 100, the maximum receivable power, the maximum secondary device (e.g., secondary coil) ground clearance, the minimum secondary device (e.g., secondary coil) ground clearance, the maximum operating frequency, the minimum operating frequency, the geometry of the secondary device, and the circuit topology. Other information, such as vehicle location, location relative to other vehicles, driving direction, speed, and destination, as well as charging session and communication session parameters may also be included.

[0039] At the time of initial link establishment, wireless charging subscription information and vehicle identification are transmitted from the electric vehicle 100 to the base station 130. Parameters included in the information exchange may include wireless charging subscription identification information, vehicle identification information, etc. The same information may be used during reassociation and reauthorization requests.

[0040] Other information exchanged may include charging parameters, charging categories, and charging contract information. This information is typically static. Although this information may change occasionally, it is unlikely to change when the electric vehicle 100 travels between clusters 125. It can be received by the first base station 130A during the initial setup, and then sent from the first base station 130A to the second base station 130B (the second base station 130B is the next base station 130 along the path of the electric vehicle 100) using, for example, IEEE802.11k and IEEE802.11r, and is extended to share information about neighboring base stations 130 that support vehicle charging.

[0041] The handover information of various WiFi protocols such as IEEE 802.11r and IEEE 802.11k may be extended to include wireless transmission of session identification information, service selection categories, accounting information, charging subscription information, etc. At least some of this information and possibly other information may be exchanged at each cluster 125 or at each handover and reassociation. It also allows accounting information to be updated accordingly.

[0042] Reference now Figure 2 , components of electric vehicle 100 may include a propulsion motor 110 , a propulsion battery 115 , an inductive charging system 150 , a communication transceiver 155 , a memory 160 , and a processor 165 .

[0043] Propulsion motor 110 is an electric motor powered by propulsion battery 115. Propulsion motor 110 has a shaft that rotates at a controllable speed, and the rotation of the shaft can be applied to the wheels of electric vehicle 100. Therefore, the rotation of the electric motor shaft can be proportional to the speed of electric vehicle 100. In some cases, a gearbox is located between the shaft of propulsion motor 110 and the wheels.

[0044] The propulsion battery 115 is a battery that outputs sufficient charge to power the propulsion motor 110. Therefore, the electric energy output by the propulsion battery 115 rotates the propulsion motor 110. The propulsion battery 115 may be charged by the inductive charging system 150. In other words, the electric energy output by the inductive charging system 150 may be stored in the propulsion battery 115.

[0045] The inductive charging system 150 includes a secondary coil that receives the electromagnetic field output by the primary coil of the charging pad 120 embedded in the road. The inductive charging system 150 includes a circuit that converts the electromagnetic field into an electric current. The inductive charging system 150 outputs the electric current to the propulsion battery 115, which stores the electric current output by the inductive charging system 150.

[0046] The communication transceiver 155 is implemented by an antenna, circuit, chip or other electronic components that facilitate wireless communication between the electric vehicle 100 and the charging pad 120, the base station 130, or both. The communication transceiver 155 can be programmed to communicate according to any number of wired or wireless communication protocols. For example, the communication transceiver 155 can be programmed to communicate according to satellite communication protocols, cellular-based communication protocols (LTE, 3G, etc.), The communication transceiver 155 may communicate using low power, Ethernet, controller area network (CAN) protocol, WiFi, local interconnect network (LIN) protocol, etc. In some cases, the communication transceiver 155 is incorporated into the vehicle telematics unit. Typically, the transceiver 155 can be programmed to support two operating modes: sensing and communication. Sensing includes discovering a nearby wireless charging pad using, for example, a short-range low-power communication process. The communication operating mode may include consistent connectivity, support for handoffs, and the ability to send more data.

[0047] The memory 160 is implemented by circuits, chips or other electronic components, and may include one or more of a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, an electrically programmable memory (EPROM), an electrically programmable and erasable memory (EEPROM), an embedded multimedia card (eMMC), a hard disk drive or any volatile or non-volatile medium, etc. The memory 160 may store instructions executable by the processor 165 and data such as vehicle identification information, contract information, charging session identification information, accounting information, service selection information, charging parameters, etc. The data stored in the memory 160 may include data to be sent from the electric vehicle 100 to the base station 130, data received by the electric vehicle 100 from the base station 130, or a combination of the two. The instructions and data stored in the memory 160 may be accessed by the processor 165 and possible other components of the electric vehicle 100.

[0048] The processor 165 is implemented by a circuit, chip, or other electronic component, and may include one or more microcontrollers, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more customer specific integrated circuits, etc. The processor 165 is programmed to facilitate communication between the electric vehicle 100 and the wireless charging system 105. That is, the processor 165 is programmed to detect when the electric vehicle 100 arrives at the first cluster 125A, command the communication transceiver 155 to send data to the base station 130 directly or by modulating a signal along the wires connecting the charging pad 120 to the base station 130, and process signals received at the electric vehicle 100 via, for example, the communication transceiver 155.

[0049] Figure 3 is a flow chart of an example process 300 that may be performed by electric vehicle 100. Process 300 may be initiated any time electric vehicle 100 is operating in electric (EV) mode or non-electric mode (if electric vehicle 100 is a hybrid electric vehicle 100) and is in proximity to wireless charging system 105.

[0050] At decision block 305, the electric vehicle 100 determines whether the propulsion battery 115 requires charging. The processor 165 may be programmed to determine that the propulsion battery 115 requires charging by comparing the state of charge of the propulsion battery 115 to a predetermined threshold. When the state of charge drops below the predetermined threshold, the processor 165 may be programmed to set a flag indicating that the propulsion battery 115 requires charging. When the propulsion battery 115 requires charging, the process 300 may proceed to block 310. Otherwise, the process 300 may repeat block 305 until the propulsion battery 115 requires charging.

[0051] At decision block 310, the electric vehicle 100 looks for an upcoming wireless charging system 105 and determines whether the electric vehicle 100 is approaching an upcoming cluster 125. The processor 165 may be programmed to detect that the electric vehicle 100 is approaching the first cluster 125A based on signals output by, for example, a vehicle navigation system, an onboard sensor (e.g., a lidar sensor, a camera, a radar sensor, etc.). If the processor 165 determines that the electric vehicle 100 is approaching an upcoming cluster 125, the process 300 continues to block 315. Otherwise, block 310 is repeated until an upcoming cluster 125 is detected, the electric vehicle 100 is turned off, or charging is no longer required.

[0052] At decision block 315, the electric vehicle 100 determines whether it has reached the wireless charging system 105. The processor 165 may be programmed to determine that the electric vehicle 100 has reached the wireless charging system 105 based on signals output by, for example, a vehicle navigation system, an onboard sensor (e.g., a lidar sensor, a camera, a radar sensor, etc.). If the processor 165 determines that the electric vehicle 100 has reached the wireless charging system 105, the process 300 continues to block 320. Otherwise, block 315 is repeated until the processor 165 determines that the electric vehicle 100 has reached the charging cluster 125, the electric vehicle 100 is turned off, or charging is no longer required.

[0053] At block 320, the electric vehicle 100 transmits information to the wireless charging system 105. For example, the processor 165 may be programmed to command the communication transceiver 155 to transmit data stored in the memory 160 to the wireless charging system 105. The data may include vehicle identification information, subscription information, charging session identification information, accounting information, service selection information, charging parameters, etc. The information may also include a planned path for the electric vehicle 100. The processor 165 may command the communication transceiver 155 to wirelessly transmit the information directly to the first base station 130A, or to transmit the information by modulating a signal along the wires connecting the charging pads 120 of the first charging cluster 125A to the first base station 130A.

[0054] At block 325, the electric vehicle 100 receives information from the wireless charging system 105. The information may be wirelessly received by the communication transceiver 155 and provided to the processor 165 for processing. The information sent from the base station 130 may include the charging capabilities of the first cluster 125A, information about the charging capabilities of nearby base stations 130 and nearby clusters 125 along the path of the electric vehicle 100 or otherwise within range of the electric vehicle 100, and the like.

[0055] At box 330, the electric vehicle 100 determines whether to start charging the propulsion battery. The processor 165 can compare the information received at box 325 with the technical requirements of the propulsion battery and the inductive charging system 150 of the electric vehicle 100 to ensure that the electromagnetic field output by the first cluster 125A can be used to charge the propulsion battery. If the first charging cluster 125A is compatible with the inductive charging system 150 of the electric vehicle 100, the process 300 can proceed to box 335. Otherwise, the process 300 can return to box 310 so that a new wireless charging system 105 can be found.

[0056] At box 335, the electric vehicle 100 receives the electromagnetic field output by the primary coil of the charging pad 120 of the first charging cluster 125A. That is, the processor 165 can be programmed to activate the inductive charging system 150 so that it converts the electromagnetic field output by the primary coil into electrical energy that can be stored in the propulsion battery. The processor 165 can be programmed to activate the inductive charging system 150 by outputting a control signal that commands the inductive charging system 150 to activate and begin charging the propulsion battery.

[0057] At decision block 340, the electric vehicle 100 determines whether it has arrived at the next charging cluster 125. The processor 165 may determine that the electric vehicle 100 has left one charging cluster 125 (e.g., the first charging cluster 125A) and arrived at the next charging cluster 125 (e.g., the second charging cluster 125B) based on a signal output by the inductive charging system, based on how the state of charge of the propulsion battery changes over time, based on location information, based on communication with one or more base stations 130 (e.g., the first base station 130A, the second base station 130B, or both), etc. If the processor 165 determines that the electric vehicle 100 is at the next charging cluster 125, the process 300 may proceed to block 345. Otherwise, the process 300 may proceed to block 350.

[0058] At block 345, the electric vehicle 100 authenticates itself to the next charging cluster 125. That is, the processor 165 may command the communication transceiver 155 to transmit certain information (such as vehicle identification, charging session, accounting information, etc.) to the base station 130 of the next charging cluster 125. In this way, the base station 130 of the next charging cluster 125 can compare the received information with the information sent from the base station 130 of the previous charging cluster 125 that served the electric vehicle 100, without requiring the electric vehicle 100 to conduct a formal handshake process with each charging cluster 125 it encounters, and also allows the electric vehicle 100 to maintain a single charging session despite traveling on different charging clusters 125. Process 300 may proceed to block 350.

[0059] At decision block 350, the electric vehicle 100 determines whether to end the charging session (e.g., stop charging the propulsion battery). The processor 165 may be programmed to decide whether to end the charging session by comparing the current state of charge to a threshold associated with a fully charged battery. If the current state of charge meets or exceeds a predetermined value, the processor 165 may determine that the propulsion battery is fully charged and deactivate the inductive charging system 150, such as by outputting a command to the inductive charging system 150 to stop converting the electromagnetic field into electrical energy, stop storing electrical energy in the propulsion battery, or both. This will end the current charging session. The processor 165 may be programmed to keep the inductive charging system 150 activated (e.g., continue the charging session) even when the electric vehicle 100 travels from one charging cluster 125 to the next, particularly in the case where the charging clusters 125 are adjacent to each other along the path of the electric vehicle 100 and the base stations 130 of the charging clusters 125 facilitate handovers between the charging clusters 125. However, the processor 165 may be programmed to end the charging session if it is determined that the electric vehicle 100 has traveled a predetermined distance or duration without encountering a subsequent charging cluster 125. The process 300 may end (or return to block 305) after the processor 165 decides to stop the charging session. Otherwise, the process 300 may repeat at blocks 340-350 until the charging session ends.

[0060] Figure 4 is a flow chart of an example process 400 that may be performed by the wireless charging system 105. The process 400 may begin any time the wireless charging system 105 is activated and available for inductively charging a vehicle battery.

[0061] At box 405, the base station 130 receives information. The information may be received from the electric vehicle 100 or another base station 130. If the information is from the electric vehicle 100, the base station 130 may determine that it is the first base station 130 in the charging session for the electric vehicle 100. If the information is from another base station 130, it may be determined that it is not the first base station 130 in the charging session for the electric vehicle 100. In either case, the base station 130 may receive the information wirelessly or via a signal modulated along a wire connecting the charging pad 120 to the base station 130. In addition, as described above, the information received at box 405 may include vehicle identification information, contract information, charging session identification information, accounting information, service selection information, charging parameters, etc.

[0062] At block 410, the base station 130 transmits information to the electric vehicle 100. The information transmitted to the electric vehicle 100 may include the charging capabilities of the cluster 125 associated with the base station 130, information regarding the charging capabilities of nearby base stations 130 and nearby clusters 125 along the path of the electric vehicle 100 or otherwise within range of the electric vehicle 100, etc. The base station 130 may transmit the information to the electric vehicle 100 wirelessly, such as directly to the communication transceiver 155 of the electric vehicle 100 via WiFi, or by modulating a signal along a wired connection between the base station 130 and the charging pad 120.

[0063] At block 415, base station 130 commands charging pad 120 to begin converting electrical current into an electromagnetic field capable of charging the propulsion battery of electric vehicle 100. In some cases, this may occur early in process 400, such as before block 405, before block 410, etc.

[0064] At decision block 420, base station 130 determines whether electric vehicle 100 is still present at charging cluster 125 associated with base station 130. If so, process 400 may continue to execute block 420 until electric vehicle 100 is no longer located at charging cluster 125, at which point process 400 may proceed to block 425.

[0065] At block 425, the base station 130 transmits the information to other nearby base stations 130. If the base station 130 knows the path of the electric vehicle 100 (which may have been received with the information at block 405), the base station 130 may transmit the information to other base stations 130 along or in close proximity to the path of the electric vehicle 100. That is, the first base station 130A may be programmed to select the second base station 130B among the plurality of base stations 130 based on, for example, that the second base station 130B is the next base station 130 that the electric vehicle 100 will encounter along its path. The base station 130 may wirelessly transmit the information to the other base stations 130 using a wireless communication protocol (e.g., WiFi).

[0066] At box 430, the base station 130 uploads information about the boost battery charging to the remote server 145. That is, the base station 130 may send the information to the remote server 145 via the gateway 135 and the communication network 140. The information sent to the remote server 145 may indicate how long the electric vehicle 100 spent at the charging cluster 125, how much electrical energy the electric vehicle 100 received from the charging cluster 125, etc. If each base station 130 uploads such information to the remote server 145, the remote server 145 may aggregate the data for, for example, statistical analysis and billing purposes.

[0067] Process 400 may end after block 430, or may return to block 405 until the next electric vehicle 100 arrives. However, before returning to block 405, base station 130 may confirm that the next vehicle 100 is authorized to use wireless charging system 105 by receiving and processing, for example, accounting information or other information authenticating the user, vehicle 100, or both, as described above.

[0068] In general, the computing systems and / or devices described may employ any of a number of computer operating systems, including but not limited in any way to various versions or variations of the following operating systems: Ford Applications, AppLink / Smart Device Link middleware, Microsoft Operating system, Microsoft Operating systems, Unix operating systems (for example, Oracle Corporation in Redwood Shores, California operating systems), AIX UNIX operating system released by International Business Machines Corporation of Armonk, New York, Linux operating system, Mac OSX and iOS operating systems released by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California, BlackBerry operating system released by BlackBerry Ltd. of Waterloo, Canada, Android operating system developed by Google Inc. and the Open Handset Alliance, or QNX Software Systems, Inc. CAR Infotainment Platform. Examples of computing devices include, but are not limited to, an in-vehicle computer, a computer workstation, a server, a desktop computer, a notebook, a laptop or a handheld computer, or some other computing system and / or device.

[0069] Computing devices generally include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions are executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above). Computer-executable instructions can be compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages ​​and / or technologies, including but not limited to Java, Javascript, and PHP, alone or in combination. TM , C, C++, Visual Basic, JavaScript, Perl, etc. Some of these applications can be compiled and executed on a virtual machine, such as a Java virtual machine, a Dalvik virtual machine, etc. Typically, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, such as from a memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these instructions to perform one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. A variety of computer-readable media can be used to store and transmit such instructions and other data.

[0070] Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media) include any non-temporary (e.g., tangible) media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media can take a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media can include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other permanent memories. Volatile media can include, for example, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes main memory. Such instructions can be transmitted by one or more transmission media, including coaxial cables, copper wires, and optical fibers, including wires that include a system bus connected to a computer processor. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, floppy disks, floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, any other magnetic media, CD-ROMs, DVDs, any other optical media, punch cards, paper tapes, any other physical media with hole patterns, RAMs, PROMs, EPROMs, FLASH-EEPROMs, any other memory chips or cassettes, or any other media from which a computer can read.

[0071] The databases, data repositories or other data stores described herein may include various mechanisms for storing, accessing and retrieving various data, including hierarchical databases, a set of files in a file system, an application database in a proprietary format, a relational database management system (RDBMS), etc. Each such data store is typically included in a computing device that employs a computer operating system, such as one of those operating systems mentioned above, and is accessed in any one or more of a variety of ways over a network. The file system can be accessed from the computer operating system and may include files stored in a variety of formats. In addition to the language for creating, storing, editing and executing stored procedures, RDBMS typically also uses structured query language (SQL), such as the PL / SQL language mentioned above.

[0072] In some examples, system elements may be implemented as computer-readable instructions (e.g., software) on one or more computing devices (e.g., servers, personal computers, etc.), stored on computer-readable media associated therewith (e.g., disks, memories, etc.). A computer program product may include instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, such instructions being used to perform the functions described herein.

[0073] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring in a particular order, such processes may be practiced by performing the steps in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0074] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. By reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should be determined with reference to the full scope of equivalents to which the appended claims and these claims are entitled, rather than with reference to the above description. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technology discussed herein, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and variation.

[0075] All terms used in the claims are intended to be understood by those skilled in the art to have their ordinary meanings unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of singular articles such as "a", "an", "the", etc. should be understood to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.

[0076] The “Abstract” is provided so that the reader can quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is understood that the Abstract will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the “Detailed Description” above, it can be seen that in order to simplify the disclosure, various features are grouped together in various embodiments. This method of disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting that the claimed embodiments require more features than expressly stated in each claim. On the contrary, as reflected in the following claims, the inventive subject matter lies in fewer features than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the following claims are incorporated into the “Detailed Description”, with each claim independently serving as a separately claimed subject matter.

[0077] According to the present invention, there is provided a wireless vehicle charging system having a first cluster charging pad which is wired to each other and is configured to convert electrical energy into an electromagnetic field; and a first base station which communicates with the first cluster charging pad and is programmed to receive information from an electric vehicle and send the information to a second base station which communicates with a second cluster charging pad in a path of the electric vehicle.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the information received from the electric vehicle and transmitted to the second base station includes at least one of vehicle identification information and charging session information.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the first base station is programmed to send information to the electric vehicle, and wherein the information sent from the first base station to the electric vehicle includes the charging capability of the first cluster.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the information sent from the first base station to the electric vehicle includes the charging capability of the second cluster.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the first base station is programmed to determine that the electric vehicle is receiving power from the first cluster charging pad.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the first base station is programmed to determine that the electric vehicle is no longer receiving power from the first cluster charging pad.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the first base station is programmed to send the information to the second base station if it is determined that the electric vehicle is no longer receiving power from the first cluster charging pad.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the first base station is programmed to send the information to the second base station before the electric vehicle reaches the second cluster charging pad.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the first base station is programmed to receive the path of the electric vehicle and select the second base station from a plurality of base stations to receive the information from the electric vehicle based at least in part on the path of the electric vehicle.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the first base station is programmed to upload information related to the charging of the electric vehicle to a remote server.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the first base station is programmed to send information to the second base station.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the first base station is in wired communication with the first cluster charging pad and in wireless communication with the electric vehicle.

[0089] According to the present invention, a method includes: receiving information from an electric vehicle at a first base station, the information relating to inductive charging of a propulsion battery of the electric vehicle by a first cluster charging pad; and wirelessly transmitting the information from the first base station to a second base station in communication with a second cluster charging pad in a path of the electric vehicle.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the information received from the electric vehicle and transmitted to the second base station includes at least one of vehicle identification information and charging session information.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that information is sent from the first base station to the electric vehicle, and wherein the information sent from the first base station to the electric vehicle includes the charging capability of the first cluster and the charging capability of the second cluster.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by determining that the electric vehicle is receiving power from the first cluster charging pad.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the above invention is also characterized in that it is determined that the electric vehicle no longer receives power from the first cluster charging pad; and if it is determined that the electric vehicle no longer receives power from the first cluster charging pad, the information is sent to the second base station, wherein the information is sent to the second base station before the electric vehicle reaches the second cluster charging pad.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by receiving the path of the electric vehicle, and selecting the second base station from a plurality of base stations to receive the information from the electric vehicle based at least in part on the path of the electric vehicle.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that information related to charging of the electric vehicle is wirelessly uploaded from the first base station to a remote server.

Claims

1. A wireless vehicle charging system, comprising: a first cluster charging pad, the first cluster charging pads being wired to each other and configured to convert electrical energy into an electromagnetic field; a first base station in communication with the first cluster charging pad and programmed to receive information from an electric vehicle and to transmit the information to a second base station in communication with a second cluster charging pad in a path of the electric vehicle; and The first base station is programmed to receive the path of the electric vehicle and select the second base station from a plurality of base stations to receive the information from the electric vehicle based at least in part on the path of the electric vehicle. 2 . The wireless vehicle charging system of claim 1 , wherein the information received from the electric vehicle and transmitted to the second base station includes at least one of vehicle identification information and charging session information.

3. The wireless vehicle charging system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first base station is programmed to send information to the electric vehicle, and wherein the information sent from the first base station to the electric vehicle includes the charging capability of the first cluster. 4 . The wireless vehicle charging system of claim 3 , wherein the information sent from the first base station to the electric vehicle includes a charging capability of the second cluster.

5. The wireless vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the first base station is programmed to determine that the electric vehicle is receiving power from the first cluster charging pad.

6. The wireless vehicle charging system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first base station is programmed to determine that the electric vehicle is no longer receiving power from the first cluster charging pad.

7. The wireless vehicle charging system of claim 6, wherein the first base station is programmed to send the information to the second base station if it is determined that the electric vehicle is no longer receiving power from the first cluster charging pad.

8. The wireless vehicle charging system of claim 7, wherein the first base station is programmed to send the information to the second base station before the electric vehicle reaches the second cluster charging pad.

9. The wireless vehicle charging system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first base station is programmed to upload information related to the charging of the electric vehicle to a remote server.

10. The wireless vehicle charging system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first base station is programmed to send information to the second base station. 11 . The wireless vehicle charging system of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the first base station is in wired communication with the first cluster charging pad and in wireless communication with the electric vehicle.

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