Method and system for connecting/disconnecting an electric vehicle to/from a charging terminal

• US 10,017,066 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bluecarsharing (Bollore SA)
• Original Assignee: Bluecarsharing (Bollore SA)
• Inventors: Lambrinos, Clement, Aymeric, Augustin, Barrois, Raphael, Rouyer, Julien, Ressayre, Sandrine, Rodrigues, Ruben, Lebettre, Lionel
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Rodney P
• Application Number:
  US14/128,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20150032312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,199 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0038 relating to sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: 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]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for connecting/disconnecting an electric vehicle to/from a charging terminal, which includes at least one sensor arranged to detect the state of at least one element of said charging terminal, said method including at least one iteration of the following steps: measuring at least one value of at least one parameter by said sensor; comparing the value of said parameter with at least one predetermined value; and transmitting at least one datum, referred to as a notification datum, relating to said connection/disconnection. The invention also relates to a system for connecting/disconnecting an electric vehicle to/from a charging terminal, as well as to a charging terminal implemented in such a method and in such a system.

Claims

1. A method for connection/disconnection of an electric vehicle at a charging terminal comprising at least one sensor means configured to detect the state of at least one element of said charging terminal, the method comprising the following steps:

measuring, by said sensor means, at least one value of at least one parameter relating to the state of an element of said charging terminal,

comparing with a computer, the value of said parameter with at least one predetermined value, and

reporting an anomaly relating to said element, if the value is not equal to the predetermined value,

said reporting step also comprising transmission of one or more items of data to the vehicle, said item(s) of data controlling the triggering of an activation signal preventing the starting of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, for at least one parameter, the comparison of the measured value with a predetermined value is carried out at a remote site, called the central site, said method also comprising sending said measured value to said central site.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that for at least one parameter, the comparison of the measured value with a predetermined value is carried out by another device, called a rental terminal, said method also comprising sending said measured value to said rental terminal.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which the reporting step comprises a step of emitting a light and/or audible signal on the charging terminal, the rental terminal, or on the vehicle associated with the charging terminal.

5. The method according to claim 1, in which the reporting step comprises a step of transmitting at least one item of notification data to the user or to an operator.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising a user identification step.

7. The method according to claim 1, in which the measured parameter comprises one or more parameters chosen from the following parameters measured by one or more suitable and appropriately arranged sensors:

a position of a charging cable comprising an electrical connection plug, and/or position of the electrical connection plug,

a state of an electrical connection between the charging terminal and the vehicle, and

an open/closed position of a lid (or cover) of a compartment of the charging terminal provided for receiving the charging cable and/or the connection plug.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of determining a configuration (collection or return of the vehicle) and, depending on the result of this step, a step of determining the parameter(s) to be compared and/or the predetermined values with which they are to be compared during the comparison step.

9. A system for connection/disconnection of an electric vehicle at a charging terminal, said system comprising:

at least one sensor means arranged on said charging terminal and configured to detect the state of at least one element of said charging terminal,

comparison means for comparing at least one value of at least one parameter measured by said sensor means with at least one predetermined value, and

means for reporting an anomaly relating to said at least one element of said charging terminal if the measured value is not equal to the predetermined value,

said means for reporting being configured for transmission of one or more items of data to the vehicle, said item(s) of data being capable of controlling the triggering of an activation signal preventing the starting of the vehicle.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that the comparison means are arranged at a remote site, said system also comprising means for the transmission of data from the charging terminal to said remote site.