Control means and method for charging a vehicle

• US 10,046,650 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2013
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Dextreit, Clement
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US14/419,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20150175019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320109, 320155, 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/625 by GSM
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/14 by input of vehicle departure time
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/107 for limiting effects of overloads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide control means for a vehicle, the control means being operable to control charging of tractive energy storage means of the vehicle, the control means being configured to allow charging of the energy storage means in dependence on a location of the vehicle and a time of day, wherein if the location of the vehicle corresponds to one or more prescribed locations the control means is operable to permit charging only during one or more prescribed periods of the day.

Claims

1. A controller for a vehicle, the controller operable to control charging of at least one battery that powers one or more electric propulsion motors in dependence on a location of the vehicle and a time of day, wherein the controller is operable to receive data from a user indicative of one or more prescribed geographic locations corresponding to charging stations at which charging of the at least one battery is to be limited to one or more prescribed periods of the day and to determine if the location of the vehicle corresponds to the one or more prescribed geographic locations based on received wireless signals, and, if the location of the vehicle does correspond to the one or more prescribed geographic locations, the controller is operable to perform charging during the one or more prescribed periods of the day.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein if the location of the vehicle does not correspond to one or more prescribed geographic locations, the controller is operable to perform charging irrespective of the time of day.

3. The controller of claim 1, operable to allow a user manually to input data corresponding to an identity of the one or more prescribed periods of the day when charging may be performed at the one or more prescribed geographic locations.

4. The controller of claim 1, operable to access data corresponding to an identity of the one or more prescribed periods of the day when charging may be performed at the one or more prescribed geographic locations.

5. The controller of claim 1, arranged to access data in respect of the one or more times of day during which charging may be performed via one selected from amongst a wireless internet connection, a mobile telecommunications network and a portable data storage device.

6. The controller of claim 1, arranged to receive data indicative of a location of the vehicle.

7. The controller of claim 1, comprising a location determination device operable to determine a location of the vehicle.

8. The controller of claim 1, operable to charge the at least one battery to a prescribed value of state of charge over one or more time periods determined responsive to data in respect of an expected departure time of the vehicle, the controller being configured to optimise charging to the prescribed value by charging the at least one battery for as long as possible during the one or more prescribed periods prior to the expected departure time.

9. The controller of claim 8, operable to receive an input corresponding to an expected departure time of the vehicle from an operator of the vehicle.

10. The controller of claim 9, operable to receive the input corresponding to expected departure time via an input device, the input device being one selected from amongst a control button and a touchscreen.

11. The controller of claim 8, operable to determine an expected departure time responsive to historical data in respect of vehicle departure times, vehicle departure times from a given location, and/or vehicle departure times as a function of day of the week.

12. The controller of claim 1, operable to allow a user manually to override the controller, such that when the location of the vehicle corresponds to a prescribed geographic location the controller performs charging during a non-prescribed period of the day.

13. A motor vehicle comprising the controller of claim 1.

14. An electric or hybrid electric vehicle comprising the controller of claim 1.

16. The controller of claim 1, wherein if the location of the vehicle corresponds to the one or more prescribed geographic locations the controller is operable to perform charging during one or more periods for which a current value of an electricity tariff corresponds to a prescribed one or more values.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein the prescribed one or more values of the electricity tariff corresponds to an off-peak tariff.

15. A method of controlling charging of at least one battery of a vehicle that powers one or more electric propulsion motors, the method comprising:

receiving data from a user indicative of one or more prescribed geographic locations corresponding to charging stations at which charging of the at least one battery is to be limited to one or more prescribed periods of the day;

determining whether a location of the vehicle corresponds to the one or more prescribed geographic locations based on received wireless signals; and

if the location of the vehicle does correspond to the one or more prescribed geographic locations, performing charging of the at least one battery during the one or more prescribed periods of the day.