Electric vehicle communication interface

• US 20080312782A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Straubel, Jeffrey Brian, Berdichevsky, Gene, Tarpenning, Marc, Kelty, Kurt, Campbell, Colin Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US11/818,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20080312782A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/24 including control of energy storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/60 using satellite communication
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/04 Monitoring the functioning of the control system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 : the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 : adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 : for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A method of communicating with an electric vehicle wherein the method includes a step of installing a communication device in the electric vehicle. The method also includes establishing a connection from the vehicle to a network. The methodology also includes controlling and monitoring a battery in the electric vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with an electric vehicle, said method including the steps of:

installing a communication device in the electric vehicle;

establishing a connection from the vehicle to a network;

communicating with a user interface via said network; and

controlling and monitoring a battery in the electric vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said communication device is a chip using an 802.11, cellular, powerline communication, or other standard or custom protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said user interface includes a mobile device, desktop device, email device, instant messaging device, cell phones, telephones, text messaging device or other electric/wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of controlling and monitoring includes determining the battery state of charge.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of controlling and monitoring includes the vehicle notifying a user that the battery is fully charged.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of controlling and monitoring includes the vehicle notifying a user if charging problems occurred.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of controlling and monitoring further includes the step of a user initiating heating or cooling of the vehicle or the battery to prepare for driving of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of controlling and monitoring includes a user powering on or off a charging of the battery.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of controlling and monitoring includes a user discharging the battery into an electricity grid.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of controlling and monitoring includes the step of communicating from a user or the vehicle that a battery problem has occurred by thermal runaway, sensed smoke, or other failure mechanisms and devices.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of controlling and monitoring includes the step of controlling a timing for charging or discharging of the battery of the vehicle by a third party.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of controlling the timing allows for charging during low power consumption periods, stopping charging during high power consumption periods and providing for a user override of charging commands from said third party.

13. The method of claim 11 further including the step of prompting a user of the vehicle to choose a predetermined charging option when the vehicle is turned off.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of prompting includes predetermined charging options of a full charge, a constant current charge up to a predetermined voltage, and a storage or 30 to 50% charge.

15. The method of claim 11 further including the step of creating a database on a remote server of user data regarding charge cycles, miles driven per charge and other predetermined parameters.

16. The method of claim 15 further including the step of broadcasting messages to a user via said remote server.

17. A method of controlling a battery within an electrical vehicle by a user of the vehicle, said method of including the steps of:

installing a communication chip in the vehicle;

providing a connection between the vehicle and a network on a user interface device;

providing a connection between said network and a second network; and

providing data storage and data analysis for the vehicle via said second network.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said second network includes the vehicle manufacturer'"'"'s server or a utility company server.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said connections are wireless or hardwired.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said connections provide for communication between the vehicle and a user of the vehicle and vice versa.

21. The method of claim 20 further including the step of querying a battery for its state of charge in the electric vehicle.

22. The method of claim 20 further including the step of notifying the user when the battery is fully charged.

23. The method of claim 20 further including the step of notifying said user if a problem occurred during charging of the battery.

24. The method of claim 20 further including the step of requesting the vehicle to initiate a heating or cooling of the vehicle or battery to prepare for driving of the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 20 further including the step of powering on or off a charging of the battery at predetermined times and for predetermined lengths.

26. The method of claim 20 further including the step of discharging the battery into an electric grid via a vehicle to grid application.

27. The method of claim 20 further including the step of notifying said user that the battery has had a problem.

28. The method of claim 20 further including the step of notifying said user the battery has self discharged below a predetermined storage level.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said predetermined storage level is approximately three volts.

30. An apparatus for connecting an electric vehicle, having a battery pack for solely propelling the electrical vehicle, with a user of the vehicle, the manufacturer of the vehicle or an utility company, said apparatus including:

a communication chip located in the vehicle;

a first network in communication with said chip;

a second network in communication with said first network;

a data storage and data analysis device in communication with said second network; and

a user interface device in communication with said chip, said first network or said second network.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said data storage and data analysis device will monitor and adjust predetermined settings and parameters of the battery pack.