Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

James A Lathrop

John Paul Gibeau

Christopher W Bell

Thomas M Gwozdek

Stuart C Salter

Paul Kenneth Dellock

Harry Lobo

Venkateswa Anand Sankaran

Mohamed Elshaer

Karin Lovett

Hadi Malek

Sriram Jala

Brittany Connolly

Terry Padgett

Jerry Mils

Shuitao Yang

Mark J Ferrel

Jacob Mathews

Matthew Roger Dedona

Steven F Chorian

Daniel Lewis Boston

Jason C Rogers

Frank Kallio

Karin Lovitt

A vehicle includes an integrated power distribution module. The integrated power distribution module includes a hybrid transformer coupled to a charger stage, a traction battery, and an auxiliary battery. The hybrid transformer includes first and second primary windings coupled in series and connected to the charger stage. The primary windings have a corresponding first secondary winding coupling the traction battery via associated inverters. The primary windings further have corresponding second secondary windings that are coupled in series with opposing voltage polarities and coupled to the auxiliary battery via an associated inverter.

Bidirectional integrated charger for a vehicle battery

A voltage quality module (VQM) function and a solar power generation function are integrated by sharing a single voltage converter (VC) within the electrical system of an automotive vehicle with an electric-start internal combustion engine. The cost of adding solar power generating capabilities to vehicles, the packaging complexities of the systems, and the number of added components are all decreased. The VC can be a DC-DC converter in a boost mode or a buck mode. A switching circuit selectably couples the VC between a main battery and an accessory bus or to between a solar panel and an auxiliary battery. A VC controller regulating a VC output using the main battery to stabilize an accessory bus voltage when in an engine crank mode and otherwise regulating the VC output to match an auxiliary battery voltage using the solar panel output.

Solar panel power point tracker integrated with vehicle electrical system

A wireless vehicle charging system is provided herein. The charging system includes a charging station having a power source and a charging station interface operably coupled to a primary coil assembly. The primary coil assembly includes a primary coil therein for generating a magnetic field. An illumination system is disposed within the primary coil assembly and includes a passive illumination system and an active illumination system. A first photoluminescent structure is disposed within the passive illumination system and is configured to luminesce in response to excitation by an incident light. A vehicle has a secondary coil assembly thereon operably coupled with a rectifier and configured to transmit electrical current from the secondary coil assembly to a battery. A second photoluminescent structure is disposed on a vehicle component and is configured to luminesce in response to excitation by a light source on the primary coil assembly.

Illuminated vehicle charging assembly

A vehicle system includes a controller configured to, responsive to an alignment mode, disable a power rectifier configured to transfer charge between a secondary coil and battery, and enable a precision rectifier to output a voltage responsive to current induced in the secondary coil resulting from current through a corresponding primary coil, and responsive to the voltage exceeding a threshold, enable the power rectifier and disable the precision rectifier.

Wireless charging system coil alignment

A wireless vehicle charging system is provided herein. The charging system includes a charging station having a power source and a charging station interface operably coupled to a primary coil assembly. The primary coil assembly includes a primary coil therein for generating a magnetic field. An illumination system is disposed within the primary coil assembly and includes a passive illumination system and an active illumination system. A first photoluminescent structure is disposed within the passive illumination system and is configured to luminesce in response to excitation by an incident light. A second photoluminescent structure is disposed within the active illumination system and is configured to luminesce in response to excitation by a light source. A vehicle having a secondary coil assembly thereon is operably coupled with a rectifier and is configured to transmit electrical current from the secondary coil assembly to a battery.

Illuminated vehicle charging system

An exemplary assembly for testing a wireless charge transmit system includes a portable tester that is configured to mimic a vehicle mounted charge receive system and to wirelessly interface with a wireless charge transmit system. An exemplary method of testing a wireless charge transmit station for an electrified vehicle includes positioning a portable tester relative to the wireless charge transmit station, and using the portable tester to mimic an electrified vehicle interfacing with the wireless charge transmit station.

Tester for wireless electrified vehicle charger

An inductive charge system may include an inductive charging circuit having a switchgear configured to swap between a step-up converter and a step-down converter. The inductive vehicle charge station or system may include a controller configured to operate the switchgear to switch between the step-up converter and the step-down converter based on presence or absence of a load. The step-up converter may be a boost converter. The step-down converter may be a buck converter. The buck converter may have a maximum power output of 100 W. An output of the step-down converter may include a forward-biased diode to prevent backfeeding. The controller may be further configured to ramp an output voltage of the step-down converter from a coupling voltage to a charging voltage to prevent hard switching between the step-up converter and the step-down converter.

Wireless power transfer for vehicles

A park assist system may, in response to receiving a signal indicating that a remote inductive charge source is within a vicinity of a vehicle, transition from a park assist mode to a wireless charging mode. During the wireless charging mode, the park assist system generates instructions to assist a driver in positioning the vehicle relative to the inductive charge source.

Vertical wireless power transfer system for charging electric vehicles

Electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles include a rechargeable traction battery. An automated vehicle charging system is configured to charge the traction battery with minimal operator intervention. The vehicle charging system includes at least one tire pad including a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors arranged at known locations of the tire pad and outputting signals having a magnitude indicative of a pressure applied by a tire at the known locations. The vehicle charging system also includes at least one controller programmed to receive the signals and control movement of a transmit coil according to a position of the tire on the tire pad that is derived from the signals. The known locations may be generally equally spaced or unevenly spaced across the tire pad. The tire pad may include a tire stop to limit motion of the tire in one direction.

Automatic self-locating transmit coil for wireless vehicle charging

Electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles include a rechargeable traction battery. An automated vehicle charging system is configured to charge the traction battery with minimal operator intervention. The vehicle charging system includes a carousel, including a plurality of transmit coils, configured to move in a longitudinal direction and rotate about an axis. The vehicle charging system further includes at least one controller programmed to move the carousel in the longitudinal direction and rotate the carousel about the axis to align a selected transmit coil from the plurality of transmit coils with a vehicle receive coil. The vehicle charging system may receive positioning data from a vehicle and may move and rotate the carousel according to the positioning data to align the selected transmit coil with the vehicle receive coil.

Self-locating multi-coil system for wireless vehicle charging

A vehicle charging system may include a charge receptacle and an alignment pin mounted to a vehicle and a ground station. The ground station may include a guide having a locating region configured to receive the alignment pin and in response to the alignment pin contacting the locating region translate along a track. An electrical connector may be configured to engage the charge receptacle. The electrical connector may be disposed within a housing associated with the guide.

Hands free vehicle charging system

A system and method are disclosed for preventing driveaway or roll away of a plug-in electric vehicle when it is being charged or is coupled to an external power supply cord. When it is detected based on at least one of the following conditions: a current is flowing to the battery charger, a voltage source is coupled to the battery charger, an access door allowing access to the receptacle on board the vehicle is open and/or a plug detect switch indicates that a plug is coupled with the receptacle, a mechanical restraint on the driveline is prevented from being released. The mechanical restraint may be a parking brake. Alternatively, the mechanical restraint may include preventing the gear shift selector from being moved out of the park position.

Method and system to prevent vehicle driveaway during battery charging

A method performed by a vehicle computing system includes detecting the triggering of a vehicle sensor indicating an abnormal vehicle condition and determining one or more likely abnormal vehicle conditions associated with the triggering of the sensor. The method also includes accessing a vehicle database to determine one or more pieces of information relating to the one or more abnormal vehicle conditions. The method further includes electronically presenting the one or more pieces of information to a vehicle user.

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Saline, MI, United States of America

James A Lathrop