Electric vehicle and control method thereof

• US 10,500,973 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Ji, Myoung-Kyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US15/646,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20180236898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/161 Explanation of functions, e.g. instructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/169 Remaining operating distance or charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/828 Mounting or fastening exchangeable modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/834 Docking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/42 Voltage source inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3661 Guidance output on an external device, e.g. car radio
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

An electric vehicle and a control method of the electric vehicle are provided. The electric vehicle includes a battery, a charger configured to supply power of the battery to a user terminal, an input configured to receive a destination from a user, and a controller configured to calculate an estimated amount of power consumed for traveling of the electric vehicle and an estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal in a case that the electric vehicle travels to the destination. The controller is configured to determine a charging method of the charger based on a current amount of charge of the battery, the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle, and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

a battery;

a charger configured to supply power of the battery to a user terminal;

an input configured to receive a destination from a user; and

a controller configured to calculate an estimated amount of power consumed for traveling of the electric vehicle and an estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal in a case that the electric vehicle travels to the destination,

wherein the controller is configured to determine a charging method of the charger based on a current amount of charge of the battery, the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle, and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to reduce a current charging amount per unit time of the charger if the current amount of charge of the battery is less than or equal to the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to, after reducing the current charging amount per unit time of the charger, recalculate the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal in a case that the electric vehicle travels to the destination, and

if the recalculation result reveals that the current amount of charge of the battery is less than or equal to the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal, stop supplying power from the charger.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a communicator connected to the user terminal to communicate with the user terminal,

wherein the controller is configured to release a connection of the communicator with the user terminal if the recalculation result reveals that the current amount of charge of the battery is less than or equal to the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a display,

wherein the controller is configured to control the display to display a screen informing that a charging amount per unit time of the charger has decreased, if the recalculation result reveals that the current amount of charge of the battery is greater than the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, when the input receives the destination from the user, the controller is configured to calculate an estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle and an estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal in a case that the electric vehicle travels to the destination.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to calculate an available travel distance of the electric vehicle based on the current amount of charge of the battery and the current charging amount per unit time of the charger if the destination is not set.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a display,

wherein the display displays the available travel distance of the electric vehicle.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a communicator connected to the user terminal and configured to receive an image from the user terminal,

wherein the controller is configured to control resolution of the image based on a remaining battery charge amount of the user terminal, if the current amount of charge of the battery is greater than the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 9, the controller is configured to determine whether a preset reference time has elapsed after connection between the communicator and the user terminal if the current amount of charge of the battery is greater than the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal, and change the resolution of the image based on the remaining battery charge amount of the user terminal if the reference time has not elapsed.

11. A control method of an electric vehicle driving a motor by using electric power charged in a battery, the control method comprising:

supplying, by a charger, power of the battery to a user terminal;

receiving, by an input, a destination from a user;

calculating, by a controller, an estimated amount of power consumed for traveling of the electric vehicle and an estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal in a case that the electric vehicle travels to the destination; and

determining, by the controller, a charging method of the charger based on a current amount of charge of the battery, the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle, and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

12. The control method according to claim 11, wherein the determining of a charging method of the charger comprises

reducing a current charging amount per unit time of the charger if the current amount of charge of the battery is less than or equal to the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the determining of a charging method of the charger comprises:

recalculating the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal in a case that the electric vehicle travels to the destination; and

stopping supplying power from the charger if the recalculation result reveals that the current amount of charge of the battery is less than or equal to the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle, and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the stopping of supplying power from the charger comprises

stopping supplying power from the charger and releasing connection of the communicator to the user terminal if the recalculation result reveals that the current amount of charge of the battery is less than or equal to the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle, and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

15. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the determining of a charging method of the charger comprises

controlling a display to display a screen informing that a charging amount per unit time of the charger has decreased if the recalculation result reveals that the current amount of charge of the battery is greater than the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle, and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

16. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising determining, by the controller, whether a destination is set, prior to the receiving of a destination,

wherein calculating an estimated amount of power consumed for traveling of the electric vehicle and an estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal in a case that the electric vehicle travels to the destination comprises calculating, if the destination is set, the estimated amount of power consumed for traveling of the electric vehicle and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal in a case that the electric vehicle travels to the destination.

17. The control method according to claim 16, further comprising calculating an available travel distance of the electric vehicle based on the current amount of charge of the battery and the current charging amount per unit time of the charger if any destination is not set, prior to the receiving of a destination.

18. The control method according to claim 17, further comprising displaying, by a display, the available travel distance of the electric vehicle.

19. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the determining of a charging method of the charger comprises

changing resolution of an image received from the user terminal based on a remaining battery charge amount of the user terminal if the current amount of charge of the battery is greater than the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle, and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal.

20. The control method according to claim 19, wherein the changing of resolution of an image comprises:

determining whether a preset reference time has been elapsed after connection between the communicator and the user terminal, if the current amount of charge of the battery is greater than the estimated amount of power consumed for travelling of the electric vehicle, and the estimated amount of power consumed for supplying power to the user terminal; and

changing the resolution of the image based on the remaining battery charge amount of the user terminal if the reference time has not elapsed.