Systems, methods, and apparatus related to mutual detection and identification of electric vehicle and charging station
Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for communicating with a charging system comprising a plurality of charging stations configured to charge an electric vehicle. At least one first signal is transmitted to the charging system via a first communication link while the electric vehicle is a first distance from at least one charging station of the plurality of charging stations. The at least one first signal is indicative of a vehicle identifier of the electric vehicle. At least one second signal is received from the at least one charging station of the plurality of charging stations via a second communication link while the electric vehicle is a second distance from the at least one charging station, the second distance less than the first distance. The at least one second signal is indicative of a charging station identifier of the at least one charging station.
1. A method of communicating with a charging system comprising a plurality of charging stations and a communications controller, the charging system configured to charge an electric vehicle via a magnetic field, the method comprising:
identifying the charging system configured to charge the electric vehicle via the magnetic field;
establishing a first communication link between the electric vehicle and the communications controller of the charging system;
exchanging, between the electric vehicle and the charging system via the first communication link, service information indicative of one or more wireless power transfer capabilities of the electric vehicle or the charging system;
sending, from the electric vehicle via the first communication link to the charging system, a guidance request for guiding the electric vehicle to a first charging station of the plurality of charging stations, the first charging station comprising a charging interface that generates the magnetic field;
retrieving an identifier of the first charging station from a guidance beacon received in response to the guidance request; and
pairing the electric vehicle with the first charging station based on the retrieved identifier of the first charging station.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the guidance beacon is received via a second communication link established between the electric vehicle and the charging system, the second communication link different from the first link and communicating via the magnetic field.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising validating an alignment of the electric vehicle with the charging interface of the first charging station based on a sense current transmitted by the first charging station before receiving charging power from the first charging station.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising confirming the alignment of the electric vehicle with the charging interface of the first charging station based on a communication transmitted by the first charging station to the electric vehicle.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating via the magnetic field comprises at least one of magnetic field modulation by the charging system and load modulation by the electric vehicle.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein pairing the electric vehicle with the first charging station comprises sending, from the electric vehicle via the first communication link to the charging system, a message including the retrieved identifier of the first charging station.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received guidance beacon comprises one or more components of a vector between the electric vehicle and the first charging station.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving power at the electric vehicle via the magnetic field generated by the charging interface of the first charging station once pairing of the electric vehicle with the first charging station is completed and alignment of the electric vehicle with the first charging station is confirmed.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the charging system comprises scanning for the charging system and determining that the charging system is in a vicinity of the electric vehicle.
10. An apparatus for communicating with a charging system comprising a plurality of charging stations and a communications controller, the charging system configured to charge an electric vehicle via a magnetic field, the apparatus comprising:
a hardware processor configured to:
identify the charging system configured to charge the electric vehicle via the magnetic field, and
retrieve an identifier of the first charging station from a guidance beacon received in response to the guidance request; and
a communication circuit coupled to the hardware processor and configured to:
communicate service information indicative of one or more wireless power transfer capabilities of the electric vehicle or the charging system,
establish a first communication link between the electric vehicle and the communications controller of the charging system, and
send, from the electric vehicle via the first communication link to the charging system, a guidance request for guiding the electric vehicle to a first charging station of the plurality of charging stations, the first charging station comprising a charging interface that generates the magnetic field,
wherein the hardware processor is further configured to pair the electric vehicle with the first charging station based on the retrieved identifier of the first charging station.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a power receiving circuit configured to receive the guidance beacon, wherein the guidance beacon is received via a second communication link established between the electric vehicle and the charging system, the second communication link different from the first link and communicating via the magnetic field.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to validate an alignment of the electric vehicle with the charging interface of the first charging station based on a sense current transmitted by the first charging station before receiving charging power from the first charging station.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive confirmation of the alignment of the electric vehicle with the charging interface of the first charging station based on a communication transmitted by the first charging station to the electric vehicle.
14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein communicating via the magnetic field comprises magnetic field modulation by the charging system and load modulation by the hardware processor.
15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein pairing the electric vehicle with the first charging station comprises sending, from the electric vehicle via the first communication link to the charging system, a message including the retrieved identifier of the first charging station.
16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the received guidance beacon comprises one or more components of a vector between the electric vehicle and the first charging station.
17. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a power receiving circuit configured to receive power at the electric vehicle via the magnetic field generated by the charging interface of the first charging station once pairing of the electric vehicle with the first charging station is completed and alignment of the electric vehicle with the first charging station is confirmed.
18. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein identifying the charging system comprises scanning for the charging system and determining that the charging system is in a vicinity of the electric vehicle.