Device authentication for wireless charging

A system comprising:

• a plurality of chargers;
• a plurality of unmanned autonomous vehicles;
• a charger among the plurality of chargers, the charger configured to:
• broadcast charger data directly to the plurality of unmanned autonomous vehicles via a first wireless communication channel;
• detect an unmanned autonomous vehicle among the plurality of unmanned autonomous vehicles that is located within a threshold distance from the charger;
• and
• drive a transmit charging coil of the charger to transmit an authentication challenge signal to the unmanned autonomous vehicle via a second wireless communication channel;
• the unmanned autonomous vehicle among the plurality of unmanned autonomous vehicles, wherein the unmanned autonomous vehicle receives wireless energy from the charger after the charger authenticates the unmanned autonomous vehicle, the unmanned autonomous vehicle configured to:
• be authenticated by:
• receiving, by the unmanned autonomous vehicle, an initial wireless energy from the transmit charging coil via the second wireless communication channel, wherein the initial wireless energy includes at least the authentication challenge signal,
• measuring, by the unmanned autonomous vehicle, electrical attributes from the authentication challenge signal, wherein the measured electrical attributes comprise a battery current supplied to charge a battery of the unmanned autonomous vehicle,
• generating, by the unmanned autonomous vehicle, an authentication response signal based on the measured electrical attributes,
• transmitting, from the unmanned autonomous vehicle, the generated authentication response signal to the transmit charging coil, and
• verifying, by the charger, the measured electrical attributes included in the authentication response signal;
• and
• receive the charger data directly from the charger via the first wireless communication channel;
• and
• navigate the unmanned autonomous vehicle to the charger.

A method of charging a fleet of unmanned autonomous vehicles, the method comprising:

• broadcasting charging data directly from each charger of a plurality of chargers to each vehicle of the fleet of unmanned autonomous vehicles via a first wireless communication channel;
• and
• for the each vehicle of the fleet of unmanned autonomous vehicles:
• selecting a charger from the plurality of chargers by processing the charging data;
• in response to selecting the charger, navigating the each vehicle to the charger;
• in response to navigating the each vehicle to the selected charger, receiving, at a receive charging coil of the each vehicle, an initial wireless energy from a transmit charging coil of the selected charger via a second wireless communication channel, wherein the receive charging coil and the transmit charging coil are configured to communicatively coupled via the second wireless communication channel, and wherein the initial wireless energy includes at least an authentication challenge signal;
• measuring electrical attributes based on the authentication challenge signal, wherein the measured electrical attributes comprise a battery current supplied to charge a battery of the each vehicle;
• generating an authentication response signal based on the measured electrical attributes;
• and
• transmitting the generated authentication response signal to the transmit charging coil of the selected charger.