Vehicle charging stations equipped with notification systems

• US 10,500,977 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Anzicek, Kyle, Sturza, John, Erb, Dylan, Lateef, Abdul, Honick, Charles, Gonzales, Philip Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek, Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US15/787,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20190118662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/90 using propulsion power supplied by specific means not covered by groups B60L50/10 - B60L50/50, e.g. by direct conversion of thermal nuclear energy into electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• 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 vehicle charging includes a housing, a sensor system configured to detect if a vehicle is parked near the housing, and a notification system configured to communicate an alert if the vehicle is parked near the housing and charging has not been initiated within a threshold amount of time. The alert indicates improper usage of the vehicle charging station to an operator of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging station, comprising:

a housing;

a sensor system configured to detect when a vehicle is parked near the housing;

a notification system configured to communicate an alert when the vehicle is parked near the housing and charging has not been initiated within a threshold amount of time; and

a control module configured to command the notification system to generate the alert when charging via the vehicle charging station has not been initiated after the threshold amount of time has passed since detecting the vehicle.

2. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, comprising a charging cord extending from the housing.

3. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 2, wherein the charging cord includes a plug for connecting to a vehicle charging port.

4. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor system includes a proximity sensor for sensing whether the vehicle is parked in a parking spot associated with the vehicle charging station.

5. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the alert is a visual alert produced by a light source of the notification system.

6. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the alert is an audible alert produced by a speaker of the notification system.

7. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the alert includes both an audible alert produced by a speaker of the notification system and a visual alert produced by a light source of the notification system.

8. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the notification system includes a communication system configured to communicate the alert to a remotely located agency.

9. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to monitor a plug connection status signal of a charging cord and a vehicle detection signal from the sensor system.

10. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to monitor a wireless connection status signal to determine when the vehicle charging station has been wirelessly connected to the vehicle.

11. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the alert indicates improper usage of the vehicle charging station to an operator of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor system and said notification system are powered by an external power source.

13. A method, comprising:

detecting whether a vehicle is parked near a vehicle charging station; and

generating an alert from a notification system of the vehicle charging station, in response to a command from a control module, when charging via the vehicle charging station has not been initiated within a threshold amount of time since detecting the vehicle.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein detecting whether the vehicle is parked near the charging station includes:

sensing, with a sensor system of the vehicle charging station, when the vehicle is parked in a parking space associated with the vehicle charging station.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the sensor system includes at least one proximity sensor.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating the alert includes:

producing a visual alert with a light source of the notification system.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating the alert includes:

producing an audible alert with a speaker of the notification system.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating the alert includes:

producing a visual alert with a light source of the notification system; and

producing an audible alert with a speaker of the notification system.

19. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating the alert includes:

communicating the alert to a remotely located agency with a communication device of the notification system.