CHARGING SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A charging system comprising:
- a battery charger installed near a parking position of a vehicle, the battery charger capable of charging a battery mounted on the vehicle during a charging operation;
a portable device carried by a user of the vehicle, the portable device having a communication function;
a vehicular communication device mounted on the vehicle for communicating with the portable device; and
a battery charging control section mounted on the vehicle, the battery charging control section configured to;
start the charging operation to charge the battery when the user is determined to be away from the vehicle; and
stop the charging operation to charge the battery when the user is determined to be close to the vehicle,wherein the user is determined to be away from or close to the vehicle based on a first communication result between the vehicular communication device and the portable device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A charging system and method is capable of starting or stopping charging a battery of a vehicle at a convenient time. A portable device and a vehicle unit can communicate with each other. A user is determined to be away from the vehicle based on a result of communication between the portable device and the vehicle unit. A charging ECU starts charging a battery when the user is away from the vehicle. Charging of the battery can be started when the user is assumed to have stopped using the vehicle and will not use the vehicle for a period of time. When the user is determined to be close to the vehicle it is assumed that use of the vehicle will be resumed at which point the system instructs the charging of the battery to be stopped. The system thereby allows the vehicle to be ready for use.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A charging system comprising:
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a battery charger installed near a parking position of a vehicle, the battery charger capable of charging a battery mounted on the vehicle during a charging operation; a portable device carried by a user of the vehicle, the portable device having a communication function; a vehicular communication device mounted on the vehicle for communicating with the portable device; and a battery charging control section mounted on the vehicle, the battery charging control section configured to; start the charging operation to charge the battery when the user is determined to be away from the vehicle; and stop the charging operation to charge the battery when the user is determined to be close to the vehicle, wherein the user is determined to be away from or close to the vehicle based on a first communication result between the vehicular communication device and the portable device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for increasing a use availability of a vehicle requiring a charging operation to charge a battery thereof, the method comprising:
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determining if the vehicle is stopped in a parking position sufficiently close to a battery charger to permit the charging operation to be performed; determining whether a communication between a portable device and a communication unit associated with the battery charger is disabled for a specified period of time; starting the charging operation if the communication between the portable device and the communication unit is disabled for the specified period of time; and immediately stopping the charging operation if one of; the communication between the portable device and the communication unit is enabled; and an unlock request is received by the communication unit from the portable device to unlock the vehicle.
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Specification