# US 2021/0276433 A1 · System for automated charging of autonomous vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0276433 A1 - Document ID: US20210276433A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/809,821 - Filed: 2020-03-05 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-05 - Assignees: GM Cruise Holdings LLC - Applicants: GM Cruise Holdings LLC - Inventors: Adam Mandel-Senft; Michael Frank Schmidt; Robert Tweedy; Kyle Vogt; Divya Thakur - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276433A1 ## CPC - B60L 53/35: Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles - B60L 53/11: {DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4} - B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - B60L 53/305: {Communication interfaces} - B60L 53/53: Batteries - B60L 53/68: Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV] - Y04S 30/12: Remote or cooperative charging - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract The present disclosure provides a method comprising, subsequent to arrival of a vehicle at a charging station, establishing communications between a vehicle side autonomous charging system associated with the vehicle and a charging station side autonomous charging system associated with the charging station; receiving by the charging station side autonomous charging system at least one signal from the vehicle side autonomous charging system, wherein the at least one signal is indicative of a location of a charging port of the vehicle; and using the received at least one signal to guide a robotic extension arm of the charging station to a location proximate the vehicle charging port. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: subsequent to arrival of a vehicle at a charging station, establishing communications between a vehicle side autonomous charging system associated with the vehicle and a charging station side autonomous charging system associated with the charging station; receiving by the charging station side autonomous charging system at least one signal from the vehicle side autonomous charging system, wherein the at least one signal is indicative of a location of a charging port of the vehicle; generating positioning signals based on the received at least one signal indicative of the location of the charging port; providing the positioning signals to an autonomous driving system (ADS) implemented by an onboard computer installed in the vehicle for use by the autonomous driving system (ADS) to reposition the vehicle within a slot of the charging station; and using the received at least one signal to guide a robotic extension arm of the charging station to a location proximate the vehicle charging port. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: transmitting from the charging station side autonomous charging system at least one locator signal; and reflecting by the vehicle side autonomous charging system the transmitted at least one locator signal; wherein the at least one signal indicative of a location of the charging port of the vehicle comprises the reflected at least one location signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitting is performed by a transmitter associated with the robotic extension arm and the reflecting is performed by a parabolic reflector associated with the charging port. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: transmitting from the vehicle side autonomous charging system at least one locator signal; and receiving by the charging station side autonomous charging system the transmitted at least one locator signal; wherein the at least one signal indicative of a location of the charging port of the vehicle comprises the received at least one location signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting is performed by a transmitter associated with the charging port and the receiving is performed by a receiver associated with the robotic extension arm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising using the robotic extension arm to open a door covering the charging port and to couple a connector device to the charging port to enabling charging of a battery of the vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising monitoring a state of charge of the battery during charging of the battery. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal comprises at least one of an ultra-sonic signal, a radio signal, a visible light signal and an infrared (“IR”) signal. ### Claim 10 A system for autonomously charging a vehicle at a charging station, the system comprising: a vehicle side module associated with a charging port of the vehicle; and a charging station side module associated with a robotic extension arm of the charging station and comprising electronics for receiving signals from the vehicle side module indicative of a location of the charging port; wherein the received signals are used by the charging station side module to generate positioning signals based on the received signals, the positioning signals being used by an autonomous driving system (ADS) implemented by an onboard computer installed in the vehicle to reposition the vehicle within a slot of the charging station; wherein the received signals are used by the charging station side module to guide the robotic extension arm to the charging port; and wherein the received signals comprise at least one of ultra-sonic signals, radio signals, visible light signals and infrared (“IR”) signals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the charging station side module comprises a transmitter device for transmitting locator signals and wherein the vehicle side module comprises a reflector for reflecting the transmitted locator signals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the charging station side module further comprises a receiver device for receiving the reflected locator signals, the reflected locator signals comprising the signals indicative of a location of the charging port. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the transmitter device and the receiver device are collectively implemented as a transceiver device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle side module comprises a transmitter device for transmitting locator signals and the charging station side module comprises a receiver device for receiving the transmitted locator signals, the received locator signals comprising the signals indicative of a location of the charging port. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle side module is integrated with the charging port. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the charging station side module is integrated with the robotic extension arm. ### Claim 17 A charging station comprising: a robotic extension arm carrying a charging connector connected to a power source by an extension cord; a charging slot for receiving a vehicle having a battery, wherein the charging connector is coupled to a charging port of the vehicle to charge the battery; and a charging station side module associated with the robotic extension arm for receiving signals from a vehicle side module associated with the charging port, the received signals being used to generate positioning signals to the vehicle based on the received signals, wherein the positioning signals are used by an autonomous driving system (ADS) implemented by an onboard computer installed in the vehicle to reposition the vehicle within a slot of the charging station, and to guide the robotic extension arm to a location of the charging port, the robotic extension arm for exposing the charging port and coupling the charging connector thereto; wherein the received signals comprise at least one of ultra-sonic signals, radio signals, visible light signals and infrared (“IR”) signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The charging station of claim 17, wherein the charging station side module comprises a transmitter device for transmitting locator signals and the vehicle side module comprises a reflector for reflecting the transmitted locator signals. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The charging station of claim 18, wherein the charging station side module further comprises a receiver device for receiving the reflected locator signals, the reflected locator signals comprising the signals indicative of a location of the charging port. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The charging station of claim 17, wherein the vehicle side module comprises a transmitter device for transmitting locator signals and the charging station side module comprises a receiver device for receiving the transmitted locator signals, the received locator signals comprising the signals indicative of a location of the charging port. ### Claim 21 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the ADS further comprises at least one of a computer vision system, and a guidance system.