CHARGING SYSTEM

• US 20090278492A1
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwashita, Hiroaki, Tanaka, Kenji, Yamamoto, Keiji, Mizuno, Yoshiyuki, Shionoya, Jun, Shimizu, Tomomi, Araki, Mikihisa, Yurimoto, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,525,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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 charging system that significantly increases the anti-theft capability of a charging subject. The charging subject includes a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery of the charging subject is connected to a power supply of a house by power lines. An authentication management device performs authentication of the charging subject by communicating with the charging subject through the power lines and permits charging of the rechargeable battery with the power supply of the house only when the authentication is established.

Claims

1. A charging system for use with a household power supply, the charging system including:

a charging subject including a rechargeable battery;

a power line connectable between the rechargeable battery of the charging subject and the household power supply; and

an authentication management device, connectable to the power supply, for performing authentication of the charging subject through at least part of the power line;

wherein the charging subject permits charging of the rechargeable battery with the power supply when the authentication is established with the authentication management device and the charging subject.

3. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication management device performs the authentication through power line communication with the charging subject using at least one part of the power line as a data communication path.

4. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication management device performs the authentication through communication that uses a code with the charging subject.

5. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the power line is directly connected to the rechargeable battery and the power supply.

6. The charging system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a primary coil connectable to the power supply through the power line; and

a secondary coil connected to the rechargeable battery;

wherein the rechargeable battery is magnetically connected to the power supply by the primary coil and the secondary coil.

7. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein:

the power line includes a first power line connectable to the rechargeable battery, and a second power line arranged in the household, extended from an outlet connected to the power supply, and connectable to the first power line; and

the authentication management device is connectable to the outlet and performs the authentication with the charging subject using the first power line and the second power line.

8. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein:

the power line includes a first power line connectable to the rechargeable battery, and a branched power line connectable between the first power line and the authentication management device; and

the authentication management device is arranged in the household, enables the branched power line to be connected to an outlet connected to the power supply via the authentication management device, and performs the authentication with the charging subject using the first power line and the branched power line.

9. The charging system according to claim 1 wherein the authentication management device has a unique identifier and is configured as a single ID box capable of performing the authentication with the charging subject using the identifier.

10. The charging system according to claim 9, wherein the ID box is a vehicle key.

11. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication management device includes:

a communication terminal having a unique identifier; and

a device body, from which the communication terminal is removable, for receiving the identifier from the communication terminal and enabling the authentication with the charging subject to be performed using the identifier.

12. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the charging subject includes a charging control unit for performing the authentication in cooperation with the authentication management device and controlling the charging of the rechargeable battery with the power supply based on the authentication.

2. A charging system for use with a household power supply, the charging system including:

a charging subject including a rechargeable battery;

a power line connectable between the rechargeable battery of the charging subject and the household power supply; and

an authentication management device, connectable to the power supply, for performing authentication of the charging subject through an electrical wiring arranged independent from the power line;

wherein the charging subject permits charging of the rechargeable battery with the power supply when the authentication is established with the authentication management device and the charging subject.

13. The charging system according to claim 2 wherein the authentication management device performs the authentication through communication that uses a code with the charging subject.

14. The charging system according to claim 2 wherein the power line is directly connected to the rechargeable battery and the power supply.

15. The charging system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a primary coil connectable to the power supply through the power line; and

a secondary coil connected to the rechargeable battery;

wherein the rechargeable battery is magnetically connected to the power supply by the primary coil and the secondary coil.

16. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein:

the power line includes a first power line connectable to the rechargeable battery, and a second power line arranged in the housing, extended from an outlet connected to the power supply, and connectable to the first power line; and

the authentication management device is connectable to the outlet and performs the authentication with the charging subject using the first power line and the second power line.

17. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein:

the power line includes a first power line connectable to the rechargeable battery, and a branched power line connectable between the first power line and the authentication management device; and

the authentication management device is arranged in the housing, enables the branched power line to be connected to an outlet connected to the power supply via the authentication management device, and performs the authentication with the charging subject using the first power line and the branched power line.

18. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein the authentication management device has a unique identifier and is configured as a single ID box capable of performing the authentication with the charging subject using the identifier.

19. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein the authentication management device includes:

a communication terminal having a unique identifier; and

a device body, from which the communication terminal is removable, for receiving the identifier from the communication terminal and enabling the authentication with the charging subject to be performed using the identifier.

20. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein the charging subject includes a charging control unit for performing the authentication in cooperation with the authentication management device and controlling the charging of the rechargeable battery with the power supply based on the authentication.