US 11,850,959 B2
Vehicle auto-charging system and method
Edward Butina, Coraopolis, PA (US); Justin Cole, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Jacob Seal, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Bruce Thompson, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Chun Zhang, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Dustin Yautz, Wexford, PA (US); and Mitchell Weiss, Carlisle, MA (US)
Assigned to Seegrid Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed by Seegrid Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed on Feb. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/163,973.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/967,628, filed on Jan. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0237596 A1, Aug. 5, 2021
Int. Cl. B60L 53/16 (2019.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60L 53/16 (2019.02) [H02J 7/0047 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle charging system, comprising:
a charger;
a charging interface coupled to the charger and comprising at least one centrally located magnet and at least one charger contact that is compressible, wherein the at least one charger contact protrudes from the charging interface beyond the at least one centrally located magnet; and
at least one controller operatively coupled to the charger, the at least one magnet, and the at least one charger contact, wherein the controller is configured to:
turn on the at least one magnet to couple the charging interface to a vehicle charging interface of a vehicle; and
in response to compression of the at least one charger contact, deliver a current from the charger through at least one charger contact to the coupled vehicle charging interface to initiate a charge cycle.