Vehicle battery charging system notification

• US 10,029,573 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gale, Allan Roy, Degner, Michael W., Chen, Lu, Momcilovich, Paul Theodore
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US14/470,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320109, 320153, 320162
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• 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 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

A battery electrical vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle includes a battery which may be charged by an electrical charging station coupled to the electric power grid. To maximize the charging efficiency thus decreasing charge time, the voltage and current drawn from the power grid may be closely monitored. Based on the monitoring of the voltage and current of an electrical circuit powering a battery charger, a notification of changing conditions to charging characteristics including electric circuit wiring resistance, power loss or wiring efficiency may be generated.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging system comprising:

a battery charger configured to be coupled with household circuitry; and

a controller programmed to reduce current draw of the charger responsive to a comparison between data associated with a plurality of changes in charger input current and charger input voltage at different instances of time during a same charging event and data associated with other vehicles and appliances indicating an appliance is drawing current from the household circuitry.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to transmit a signal indicating the appliance is drawing current from the household circuitry.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the different instances of time occur during a predefined time interval.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the predefined time interval is 50 microseconds to 2 seconds.

5. A vehicle comprising:

a battery charger coupled with household circuitry; and

a controller programmed to, responsive to a comparison between

data associated with a resistance of the household circuitry derived from changes, over a time interval during a same charging event, of a charger input current and a charger input voltage, and

data associated with other vehicles and appliances;

indicating an appliance is drawing current from the household circuitry, reduce current draw of the charger.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a display coupled to the battery charger and configured to display information related to the comparison.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is further programmed to transmit a signal indicating the appliance is drawing current from the household circuitry.

8. A method comprising:

measuring a plurality of changes in input voltage and input current of a battery charger electrically connected with household circuitry during a predetermined time interval while the battery charger is charging a battery; and

reducing current draw of the charger responsive to a comparison between data associated with the plurality of changes and data associated with other vehicles and appliances indicating an appliance is drawing current from the household circuitry.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting a signal indicating the appliance is drawing current from the household circuitry.