Electric vehicle charging station parking spot monitoring system

• US 10,525,845 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pursifull, Ross Dykstra, Surnilla, Gopichandra, Makled, Daniel A., Hakeem, Mohannad, McQuillen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US15/660,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20190031038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• 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 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• 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

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for electric vehicle charging station parking spot monitoring system. An example electric vehicle charging station includes a communication module, sensors, and a charge controller. The communication module communicatively couples to a vehicle parked in a parking spot associated with the charging station. The sensors monitor the parking spot. The charge controller receives identifying information and battery information from the vehicle parked in the parking spot, and when the vehicle is not eligible for charging, sends the identifying information of the vehicle to a parking enforcement authority.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging station comprising:

a communication module to communicatively couple to a vehicle parked in a parking spot associated with the charging station;

sensors to monitor the parking spot; and

a charge controller configured to;

determine that a user of the vehicle is positioned at or greater than a predetermined distance from the vehicle;

gather identifying information and battery information from the vehicle parked in the parking spot;

determine the vehicle is not eligible for charging; and

send, based on the determination that the user is positioned at or greater than a predetermined distance from the vehicle and the determination that the vehicle is not eligible for charging, the identifying information of the vehicle to a parking enforcement authority.

2. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the charge controller is further configured to:

determine the vehicle is an electric vehicle;

determine a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle is less than a charge threshold; and

determine, based on the determination that the vehicle is an electric vehicle and the determination that the state of charge is less than a charge threshold, that the vehicle is eligible for charging.

3. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 2, wherein the charge controller is further configured to:

determine, that a plug of the charging station is not connected to a power port of the vehicle.

4. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 3, wherein the charge controller is further configured to:

send, based on the determination that the plug is not connected to the power port of the vehicle, a message to the vehicle to provide an alert to connect the vehicle to the charging station.

5. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 3, wherein the charge controller is further configured to:

determine the plug of the charging station not connected to the power port of the vehicle after a threshold period of time;

determine the user is at least the threshold distance from the vehicle; and

send, based on the determination that the plug of the charging station is not connected to the power port of the vehicle and the determination that the user is at least a threshold distance from the vehicle, the identifying information of the vehicle to the parking enforcement authority.

6. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the sensors include at least one of a camera or a range detection sensor.

7. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the charge controller is further configured to:

determine the vehicle is an electric vehicle;

determine a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle is greater than a charge threshold;

determine, based on the determination that the vehicle is an electric vehicle and the determination that the state of charge of the battery is greater than a charge threshold, that the vehicle is not eligible for charging; and

send, based on the determination that the vehicle is not eligible for charging, a message to the vehicle requesting the vehicle move.

8. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein one of the sensors is a camera, and wherein the charge controller is further configured to retrieve, based on a determination that the communication module cannot communicatively couple to the vehicle, identifying information of the vehicle via the camera.

9. A method of operating a electric vehicle charging station comprising

monitoring, with a sensor, a parking spot associated with an electric vehicle charging station;

in response to detecting a vehicle park in the parking spot;

determining that a user of the vehicle is positioned at or greater than a predetermined distance from the vehicle;

establishing, via a communication module, wireless communication with the vehicle;

receiving, via the communication module and from the vehicle, identifying information and battery information;

determining, with a processer, the vehicle is not eligible for charging based on the identifying information and battery information; and

sending, based on the determination the vehicle is not eligible for charging and the determination that the user is positioned at or greater than a predetermined distance from the vehicle, an indication to the user.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining the vehicle is an electric vehicle;

determining a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle is less than a charge threshold; and

determining, based on the determination that the vehicle is an electric vehicle and the determination that the state of charge is less than a charge threshold, that the vehicle is eligible for charging.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining that a plug of the charging station is not connected to a power port of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

sending, based on the determination that the plug of the charging station is not connected to the power port of the vehicle and after a threshold period of time, the identifying information of the vehicle to the parking enforcement authority.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

sending, based on the determination that the vehicle is an electric vehicle and the determination that a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle is greater than a charge threshold, a message to the vehicle requesting that the vehicle move to a new location.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

retrieving, via a camera and based on a determination that the communication module cannot communicatively couple to the vehicle, identifying information of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

broadcasting, via the communication module and based on a determination that the parking spot is empty, an advertisement message including location information of the charging station.

16. An electric vehicle charging station comprising:

a communication module to communicatively couple to a vehicle parked in a parking spot associated with the charging station;

sensors to monitor the parking spot; and

a charge controller configured to;

track a location of a user of the vehicle;

gather identifying information and battery information from the vehicle parked in the parking spot;

determine the vehicle is eligible for charging;

determine the vehicle is not electrically coupled to the charging station for charging;

determine the user is positioned at or greater than a predetermined distance from the vehicle; and

send, based on the determination that the vehicle is eligible for charging, the determination that the vehicle is not electrically coupled to the charging station, and the determination that the user is positioned at or greater than a predetermined distance from the vehicle, the identifying information of the vehicle to a parking enforcement authority.