IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,173,798
Granted Patent B2
US 11,173,798 · App. 15/894,771 · Granted Nov 16, 2021

Systems and methods for vehicle wireless charging

Inventors: Hamid M. Golgiri (Dearborn, MI); Anthony Melatti (Dearborn, MI); Danielle Rosenblatt (Dearborn, MI); Patrick Lawrence Jackson Van Hoecke (Dearborn, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60L53/38B60L53/60H02J7/025H02J50/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,173,798
App. No.
15/894,771
Granted
Nov 16, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for preventing damage to an object within a charging field of a wireless vehicle battery charger. An example vehicle includes a wireless vehicle battery charger having a charging field, a plurality of Bluetooth antennas, and a processor. The processor is configured to identify a location of an object using one or more of the plurality of Bluetooth antennas, and, responsive to determining that the object is within the charging field, disable the wireless vehicle battery charger.

Claims (48)

1. A vehicle comprising:

a wireless vehicle battery charger having a charging field;

a plurality of Bluetooth antennas; and

a processor configured to:

identify a location of an object based on a difference in signal strengths of two or more of the plurality of Bluetooth antennas;

determine that the object is located outside the charging field;

determine, based on a trajectory or movement of the object, that the object will enter the charging field within a time period;

responsive to determining that the object will enter the charging field within the time period, disable the wireless vehicle battery charger;

determine whether a predetermined time period has elapsed after the wireless vehicle battery charger has been disabled;

determine, after the predetermined time period has elapsed, that the object is within the charging field;

reset, based on the determination that the object is within the charging field, the predetermined time period;

determine, after the reset predetermined time period has elapsed, that the object is no longer within the charging field; and

responsively enable the wireless vehicle battery charger.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the location of the object during operation of the wireless vehicle battery charger.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein identifying the location of the object based on the difference in signal strengths between the two or more of the plurality of Bluetooth antennas comprises:

determining a first signal strength associated with a first Bluetooth antenna;

determining a second signal strength associated with a second Bluetooth antenna;

determining that the first signal strength is stronger than the second signal strength; and

determining that the object is closer to the first Bluetooth antenna than the second Bluetooth antenna.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a Bluetooth enabled device paired to the vehicle, and wherein identifying the location of the object comprises identifying the location based on a pairing of the object to the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to disable the wireless vehicle battery charger by stopping an active charging operation.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to disable the wireless vehicle battery charger by preventing a future charging operation from occurring.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a communication system, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, via the communication system, an indication that a nearby vehicle has disabled a corresponding wireless vehicle battery charger; and

responsively disable the wireless vehicle battery charger.

8. A method of wireless vehicle battery charging comprising:

identifying, by a processor of a vehicle comprising a wireless vehicle battery charger and a plurality of Bluetooth antennas, a location of an object based on a difference in signal strengths of two or more of the plurality of Bluetooth antennas;

determining that the object is located outside a charging field;

determining, based on a trajectory or movement of the object, that the object will enter the charging field within a time period;

responsive to determining that the object will enter the charging field within the time period, disabling the wireless vehicle battery charger;

determining whether a predetermined time period has elapsed after the wireless vehicle battery charger has been disabled;

determining, after the predetermined time period has elapsed, that the object is within the charging field;

resetting, based on the determination that the object is within the charging field, the predetermined time period;

determining, after the reset predetermined time period has elapsed, that the object is no longer within the charging field; and

responsively enabling the wireless vehicle battery charger.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

identifying the location of the object during operation of the wireless vehicle battery charger.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein identifying the location of the object based on the difference in signal strengths between the two or more of the plurality of Bluetooth antennas comprises:

determining a first signal strength associated with a first Bluetooth antenna;

determining a second signal strength associated with a second Bluetooth antenna;

determining that the first signal strength is stronger than the second signal strength; and

determining that the object is closer to the first Bluetooth antenna than the second Bluetooth antenna.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the object comprises a Bluetooth enabled device paired to the vehicle, and wherein identifying the location of the object comprises identifying the location based on a pairing of the object to the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising disabling the wireless vehicle battery charger by stopping an active charging operation.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising disabling the wireless vehicle battery charger by preventing a future charging operation from occurring.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a communication system, the method further comprising:

receiving, via the communication system, an indication that a nearby vehicle has disabled a corresponding wireless vehicle battery charger; and

responsively disabling the wireless vehicle battery charger.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2018
From: GOLGIRI, HAMID M.; MELATTI, ANTHONY; ROSENBLATT, DANIELLE; VAN HOECKE, PATRICK LAWRENCE JACKSON
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 045532/0665 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190248245A1 · Aug 15, 2019