Method and system for securing a rental vehicle, and secure vehicle

• US 10,266,061 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bluecarsharing (Bollore SA)
• Original Assignee: Bluecarsharing (Bollore SA)
• Inventors: Lambrinos, Clement, Augustin, Aymeric, Barrois, Raphael, Rouyer, Julien, Ressayre, Sandrine, Thieulent, Franck
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US14/129,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,486 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/30 Preventing theft during charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (300) for securing an electric rental vehicle when returning/picking up the vehicle at a so-called rental site, said vehicle including at least one sensor for determining at least one state of an element of said vehicle, said method including the following steps: measuring (310, 320) at least one value of at least one parameter by said sensor means, comparing (310, 320) the value of said parameter with at least one predetermined value, and indicating (312, 322, 324) an anomaly if the value is not equal to the predetermined value. The invention also relates to a method for securing an electric rental vehicle when returning/picking up said vehicle, and to a secure vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for securing an electric vehicle available for rental on the return/collection of said vehicle at a rental site said vehicle comprising at least one sensor to determine at least one state of an element of said vehicle, said method comprising the following steps carried out during a return operation of the vehicle at the end of rental and/or during a collection operation of the vehicle at the start of rental:

measuring at least one value of at least one parameter by the at least one sensor;

comparing the at least one value of the at least one parameter to at least one predetermined value;

signalling an anomaly, if the at least one value of the at least one parameter is not equal to the at least one predetermined value; and

if no anomaly is signaled, completing the return operation and/or collection operation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein for the at least one parameter, the comparison of the at least one value of the at least one parameter to the at least one predetermined value can be carried out at a central site, said method also comprising the sending of the at least one value of the at least one parameter to said central site.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signalling step comprises a step of emitting at least one of a light signal or an audible signal on the vehicle or on a terminal of a charging station associated with the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which the signalling step comprises transmitting at least one item of notification data to a user of the vehicle or an operator of a rental service associated with the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying user of the vehicle by reading an RFID identifier of said user at the rental site, by the vehicle, or a combination thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1, in which the at least one parameter measured relates to the state of an opening of a vehicle, a connection of an electrical connector on the vehicle to an electrical connector on a charging terminal, or the state of a lid or cover giving access to such an electrical connector.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of determining a configuration and, depending on the result of this step, a step of determining the at least one parameter to be compared and/or the at least one predetermined values with which to compare the at least one parameter during the comparison step.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more items of data transmitted to the vehicle, the one or more items of data being capable of controlling the triggering of an activation signal, in particular if the at least one value of the at least one parameter is not equal to the at least one predetermined value.

9. An electric vehicle capable of being secured by the method according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one electrical connector capable of engaging with at least one electrical connector of a charging terminal to establish an electrical connection to charge at least one battery of said vehicle, and

at least one sensor arranged to detect the state of at least one element of said vehicle.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is arranged to detect the state of at least one of:

an electrical charging connector on said vehicle,

a cover used to access an electrical charging connector, or

an opening of said vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a force sensor located proximate an opening defined by the vehicle, and wherein the at least one parameter includes whether a door of the vehicle is in an open state or a closed state, the method further comprising:

determining, by the force sensor, whether the door is in the open state or the closed state; and

signaling the anomaly if the door is in the open state during the rental operation or the collection operation.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a force sensor located proximate an opening defined by the vehicle, and wherein the at least one parameter includes whether a luggage compartment of the vehicle is in an open state or a closed state, the method further comprising:

determining, by the force sensor, whether the luggage compartment is in the open state or the closed state; and

signaling the anomaly if the luggage compartment is in the open state during the rental operation or the collection operation.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a force sensor located proximate a charging connector, and wherein the at least one parameter includes whether the charging connector is in a connected state or a disconnected state, the method further comprising:

determining, by the force sensor, whether the charging connector is in a connected state or a disconnected state; and

signaling the anomaly if the charging connector is in the disconnected state during the rental operation or the collection operation.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a force sensor located proximate an access lid of a charging connector, and wherein the at least one parameter includes whether the access lid is in an open state or a closed state, the method further comprising:

determining, by the force sensor, whether the access lid is in a open state or a closed state; and

signaling the anomaly if the access lid is in the open state during the rental operation or the collection operation.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in response to signaling the anomaly, emitting a light from one of the vehicle or a charging station associated with the vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in response to signaling the anomaly, emitting a sound from one of the vehicle or a charging station associated with the vehicle.