MONITORING OF POWER CHARGING IN VEHICLE

• US 20100161165A1
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minotaur Systems LLC (Jeffrey M. Gross)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc. (Trak Global Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Basir, Otman A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A energy meter unit for an electric vehicle contains energy measuring circuitry, a GPS unit, a CPU, and memory. The energy meter unit is capable of detecting the amount of energy charged at a specific location and storing that information for later uses, such as with a governmental incentive program.

Claims

1. An energy meter for an electric vehicle comprising;

a location-determining system for determining a current location of the vehicle;

an energy meter for measuring a charge energy supplied to a battery on the vehicle; and

a processor receiving the current location and measure of energy charging the battery and associating the measure of charge energy supplied to the battery with the location at which the battery was supplied with the charge energy.

2. The energy meter of claim 1 wherein said processor is capable of associating the measure of charge energy with the location based on information from a GPS receiver.

3. The energy meter of claim 1 wherein said energy meter is connected to a vehicle data bus thereby allowing the processor to obtain vehicle information and associate the vehicle information with the charge energy.

4. The energy meter of claim 1 additionally comprising a data transmission module capable of transmitting the measure and the location via at least one of a wireless communication method or a removable memory method.

5. The energy meter of claim 4 wherein said data transmission module transmits the measure and location to a data collection server.

6. The energy meter of claim 1 wherein the energy meter receives energy supplier information at the power source.

7. A method for tracking electric energy charging in an electric vehicle comprising the steps of;

determining a current location of the vehicle;

determining an amount of energy supplied to a battery on the vehicle at the current location;

associating the amount of energy supplied with the current location.

8. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising the steps of obtaining and storing vehicle identification information specifically identifying the vehicle and associating the energy supplied with said vehicle.

9. The method of claim 7 comprising the additional step of transmitting said amount of energy supplied and said current location to a data collection server.

10. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of:

a) determining an amount of energy sent to the battery;

b) determining an amount of energy stored by the battery during said step a);

c) determining an amount of energy lost based upon said steps a) and b).

11. A method for tracking energy charging in an electric vehicle including the steps of:

receiving a measure of energy supplied to a battery of a vehicle;

receiving a location of the vehicle at which the energy was supplied to the battery; and

associating the measure of energy with the battery.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of charging for the energy supplied to the battery based upon the location at which the energy was supplied.

13. The method of claim 11 further including the step of granting a credit for the measure of energy supplied to the battery of the vehicle based upon the measure of energy and the location.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein a payment rate for the energy supplied to the battery is determined based upon a confirmation that the energy was supplied to the battery of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 11 further including the step of providing a credit for the energy supplied to the location at which the battery was charged.

16. The method of claim 11 further including the step of receiving driving information, including locations where the vehicle is driven and determining road-based incentives, credits or charges.