Vehicle management method and vehicle management device

• US 10,308,139 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2015
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuramoto, Yoh, Kazama, Isamu, Yamamoto, Naoki, Hatakenaka, Daisuke, Tsuruoka, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US15/749,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20180229608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/008 with means for heating the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/54 related to batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/10 characterised by the energy transfer between the charging station and the vehicle
• 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 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• 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: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A vehicle management method is provided for managing an electric vehicle by using a management server based on vehicle-specific ID information that defines a condition of use transmitted from an onboard controller. The vehicle management method includes acquiring vehicle ID information from the electric vehicle by using the management server; determining the vehicle ID information to be valid if the vehicle ID information acquired falls within a use period set in advance and determining the vehicle ID information to be invalid if the vehicle ID information acquired falls outside a use period set in advance; and applying a prescribed limitation to charging of a battery of the electric vehicle having the vehicle ID information upon determining that the vehicle ID information is invalid.

Claims

1. A vehicle management method for managing an electric vehicle by using a management server based on vehicle-specific ID information that defines a condition of use transmitted from an onboard controller, the vehicle management method comprising:

acquiring vehicle ID information from the electric vehicle by using the management server;

determining the vehicle ID information to be valid if the vehicle ID information acquired falls within a use period set in advance and determining the vehicle ID information to be invalid if the vehicle ID information acquired falls outside the use period set in advance; and

allowing limited charging of a battery of the electric vehicle having the vehicle ID information, using a prescribed limitation on the limited charging of the battery, upon determining that the vehicle ID information is invalid.

2. The vehicle management method according to claim 1, wherein

upon the allowing limited charging of the battery using the prescribed limitation, charging is permitted until a remaining charging amount of the battery reaches a predetermined threshold value, and charging is prohibited when the remaining charging amount of the battery reaches the predetermined threshold value.

3. The vehicle management method according to claim 2, wherein

charging power from an external power source to the battery is used to carry out system protection of the battery during charging to the battery, and

the system protection of the battery is stopped when the charging becomes prohibited.

4. The vehicle management method according to claim 2, wherein

charging power from an external power source to the battery is used to carry out system protection of the battery during charging to the battery, and

when the charging becomes prohibited, the charging of the battery is stopped while execution of the system protection of the battery using the external power source is continued.

5. The vehicle management method according to claim 2, wherein

when a charging gun that supplies electric power from an external power source is disconnected from the electric vehicle after the charging becomes prohibited, a stored power in the battery is used to carry out the system protection of the battery.

6. The vehicle management method according to claim 2, wherein

if the prescribed limitation is imposed on the charging of the battery of the electric vehicle, when the charging becomes prohibited a user of the electric vehicle is notified of a charging prohibition state.

7. The vehicle management method according to claim 1, wherein

rapid charging is prohibited if the prescribed limitation is imposed on the charging of the battery of the electric vehicle.

8. The vehicle management method according to claim 1, wherein

upon determining that the vehicle ID information acquired is invalid, a connection notification sound of a charging gun that supplies electric power from an external power source is made to differ from the sound emitted when the charging gun is normally connected.

9. A vehicle management device comprising:

an onboard controller for transmitting vehicle-specific ID information that defines a condition of use; and

a management server for managing an electric vehicle based on vehicle ID information received,

the management server being configured to;

acquire the vehicle ID information from the electric vehicle,

determine the vehicle ID information acquired to be valid if the vehicle ID information acquired falls within a use period set in advance and determine the vehicle ID information acquired to be invalid if the vehicle ID information acquired falls outside the use period set in advance, and

allow limited charging of a battery of the electric vehicle having the vehicle ID information, using a prescribed limitation on the limited charging of the battery, upon determining that the vehicle ID information is invalid.