ELECTRICAL VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

The present invention relates to an adaptive wireless charging system for electric vehicles (EVs) that utilizes dynamic power management to optimize charging efficiency. The system comprises a charging pad with a transmitter coil, a receiver coil installed in the vehicle, and a power management unit that adjusts power transfer based on real-time vehicle data, including the state of charge (SOC), position, and environmental factors such as temperature and humidity. The invention also incorporates advanced alignment sensors and communication between the vehicle and the charging station to ensure efficient power transfer, even in cases of misalignment. The system autonomously adjusts the power delivery rate to prevent overheating, minimize energy loss, and reduce charging time. This wireless charging solution provides a more convenient, reliable, and energy-efficient alternative to traditional wired charging methods, applicable in various charging environments such as home, public stations, and fleet operations.

Specification

Description:In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

The word "exemplary" and/or "demonstrative" is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" and/or "demonstrative" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "includes," "has," "contains," and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising" as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an instance" or "one instance" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The present invention provides an adaptive wireless charging system for electric vehicles (EVs) that dynamically adjusts power transfer to optimize charging efficiency based on real-time data. The system uses a combination of wireless power transfer (WPT) technology and dynamic power management algorithms to ensure efficient, reliable, and convenient charging, even under varying conditions such as misalignment, battery state of charge (SOC), and environmental factors. Below, three embodiments of the invention are described in detail.

In the first embodiment, the wireless charging system comprises two primary components: a charging pad with a transmitter coil and a receiver coil installed in the electric vehicle. The charging pad is embedded with a resonant inductive transmitter coil that generates an oscillating electromagnetic field. This field is then captured by a matching receiver coil within the vehicle, where it is converted into DC electricity to charge the vehicle's battery.

A dynamic power management unit (PMU) is situated at the charging station and communicates with the vehicle's onboard battery management system (BMS) via wireless communication protocols, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The PMU continuously monitors the vehicle's SOC and communicates with the vehicle to adjust the charging parameters accordingly. For instance, if the vehicle is nearly fully charged, the system reduces the charging power to prevent overcharging and optimize energy consumption. This adjustment is made based on real-time SOC data sent from the vehicle.

In this embodiment, the vehicle's position relative to the charging pad is detected through an alignment sensor that communicates with the PMU. If misalignment occurs (for example, if the vehicle is not parked directly over the pad), the system compensates by adjusting the power delivery, ensuring that energy transfer is still occurring efficiently, even in non-ideal alignment conditions. This system allows the vehicle to be charged optimally, even if it is not perfectly aligned with the charging pad.

The charging system operates in such a way that once the vehicle reaches a predetermined SOC (e.g., 80%), the charging rate is gradually reduced, and once the vehicle's battery is fully charged, the system automatically stops power transfer to avoid overcharging and unnecessary energy wastage. The intelligent power management unit also adjusts the power output based on the battery's charging curve, ensuring that the power output is consistent with the EV battery's requirements.

The second embodiment further expands on the basic charging system by incorporating environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, and other atmospheric conditions, into the dynamic power management process. In this embodiment, the charging station is equipped with environmental sensors that monitor real-time environmental conditions and feed this information to the power management unit (PMU).

Environmental data is crucial for adjusting the charging process. For example, if the temperature is high, the system can reduce the power transfer rate to prevent the battery from overheating. If the temperature is too low, the system might adjust the power delivery to maintain optimal charging conditions, as charging in extremely cold temperatures can cause damage to the battery cells. The environmental sensors also monitor humidity levels, which can affect the efficiency of the wireless power transfer system. By adapting the charging parameters based on these factors, the system ensures safe and efficient charging under varying environmental conditions.

This embodiment includes advanced communication between the charging station and the vehicle. The vehicle's battery management system (BMS) provides detailed data about its internal temperature, current SOC, and battery health, which is then relayed to the PMU. The charging system can adjust the power delivery accordingly, ensuring that the battery is not charged too quickly, which could cause excessive heat generation, or too slowly, which might prolong the charging process unnecessarily.

This embodiment allows for a more comprehensive approach to dynamic power management, taking into account not only the vehicle's needs but also external environmental variables that can influence the efficiency and safety of the charging process. By considering these factors, the system offers improved performance across a wider range of real-world charging scenarios.

The third embodiment integrates advanced positioning technology to enable the vehicle to autonomously park itself over the charging pad, ensuring optimal alignment of the vehicle with the charging pad. This system utilizes GPS, cameras, and/or ultrasonic sensors to guide the vehicle into position. Once the vehicle is parked within a certain range of the charging pad, the vehicle's onboard computer system communicates with the charging station to align the coils automatically, ensuring that the maximum possible power transfer occurs.

This system involves the use of a precise alignment sensor located in both the charging pad and the vehicle. As the vehicle approaches the charging pad, these sensors communicate to adjust the relative positioning of the transmitter and receiver coils. If misalignment occurs during the charging process, the system compensates by adjusting the energy transfer rate to maintain an optimal power flow, even if the coils are slightly off-center. This reduces the need for human intervention, increasing the convenience of using wireless charging systems in both home and public charging scenarios.

In this embodiment, the power management unit not only adjusts the power based on SOC and environmental factors but also fine-tunes the power transfer based on the vehicle's precise position relative to the charging pad. The system continually monitors this alignment and communicates with the vehicle's guidance system to correct any misalignment automatically. This is particularly useful for applications in public charging stations where vehicles may not always be parked with perfect precision.

The vehicle's onboard system sends continuous updates to the PMU regarding the SOC and charging preferences. The vehicle may indicate to the charging system if it is in a hurry to get fully charged, which may prompt the system to increase the charging power temporarily. On the other hand, if the vehicle is parked for an extended period and the SOC is low, the system may choose a more energy-efficient charging approach, providing a balance between speed and efficiency.

This embodiment significantly enhances the user experience by automating the entire charging process, from vehicle positioning to charging management, and ensures that the system operates at peak efficiency under all conditions.

While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented merely as illustrative of the invention and not as limitation. , Claims:1.A wireless charging system for electric vehicles, comprising:
a charging pad with a transmitter coil;
a receiver coil located within the electric vehicle;
a dynamic power management unit configured to adjust the power transfer between the transmitter coil and the receiver coil based on the vehicle's state of charge (SOC) and position relative to the charging pad.

2.The wireless charging system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic power management unit further adjusts power transfer based on environmental factors detected by one or more sensors in the charging system, the factors including temperature and humidity.

3.The wireless charging system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic power management unit includes a communication module that allows the electric vehicle to send real-time SOC data to the charging pad, enabling the charging system to dynamically regulate the charging speed.

4.The wireless charging system of claim 1, wherein the power transfer is optimized based on the alignment of the vehicle with respect to the charging pad, the alignment being monitored by a sensor in the vehicle and/or charging station.

5.A method for adaptive wireless charging of an electric vehicle, comprising:
receiving data from the electric vehicle on its state of charge (SOC);
detecting the vehicle's position relative to a charging pad;
adjusting the power transfer from the charging pad to the vehicle based on the vehicle's SOC and position.

6.The method of claim 5, wherein the power transfer is further adjusted based on environmental conditions detected by one or more sensors in the charging system.
7.The method of claim 5, wherein the communication between the vehicle and the charging system allows for continuous optimization of the charging speed and efficiency throughout the charging process.

8.The wireless charging system of claim 1, wherein the power transfer efficiency is dynamically increased or decreased based on a real-time algorithm that optimizes energy delivery for minimal loss.

9.The wireless charging system of claim 1, wherein the receiver coil in the vehicle is configured to align itself automatically with the transmitter coil during the charging process.

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