VEHICLE BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110047102A1
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Grider, Duane M., Blakemore, Bruce Carvell, D'Annunzio, Julie
• Application Number:
  US12/838,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047102A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/412
• 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 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/006 Converting flow of air into electric energy, e.g. by using wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• 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 vehicle may include at least one controller and a battery configured to be selectively charged with energy from an off-board energy source. The at least one controller may be configured to receive user input specifying a cost minimization mode of battery charging. The at least one controller may be further configured to, in response to the input, determine a time period available for charging the battery, determine when, during the time period, a cost of energy from the off-board energy source is at a minimum or below a threshold cost, and cause the battery to be charged during at least a portion of the time period when the cost is at the minimum or below the threshold cost to minimize the cost of charging the battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a battery configured to be selectively charged with energy from an off-board energy source; and

at least one controller configured to (i) receive user input specifying a cost minimization mode of battery charging and (ii) in response to the input, determine a time period available for charging the battery, determine when, during the time period, a cost of energy from the off-board energy source is at a minimum or below a threshold cost, and cause the battery to be charged during at least a portion of the time period when the cost is at the minimum or below the threshold cost to minimize the cost of charging the battery.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine a duration of time needed to charge the battery and to determine a cutoff charge begin time based on the time period and duration of time.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to initiate charging of the battery on or before the cutoff charge begin time.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the time period available for charging the battery is partially defined by a charge complete time and wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine a duration of time needed to charge the battery, to determine a cutoff charge begin time by subtracting the duration of time needed to charge the battery from the charge complete time and to initiate charging of the battery on or before the cutoff charge begin time.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive user input specifying a green energy mode of battery charging and, in response to the input specifying the green energy mode of battery charging, to determine when, during the time period, the energy available from the off-board energy source is identified as being green energy.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to cause the battery to be charged during at least a portion of the time period when the energy available from the off-board energy source is identified as being green energy.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the input specifying the cost minimization mode of battery charging further specifies the threshold cost.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive input specifying at least one of a charge start time and charge complete time and wherein the time period available for charging the battery is determined by the at least one of the charge start time and charge complete time.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a battery configured to be selectively charged with energy from an off-board energy source; and

at least one controller configured to (i) receive user input specifying a green energy mode of battery charging and (ii) in response to the input, determine a time period available for charging the battery, determine when, during the time period, energy available from the off-board energy source is identified as being green energy, and cause the battery to be charged during a least a portion of the time period when the energy available from the off-board energy source is identified as being green energy.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine a duration of time needed to charge the battery and to determine a cutoff charge begin time based on the time period and duration of time.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 where in the at least one controller is further configured to initiate charging of the battery on or before the cutoff charge begin time.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the time period available for charging the battery is partially defined by a charge complete time and wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine a duration of time needed to charge the battery, to determine a cutoff charge begin time by subtracting the duration of time needed to charge the battery from the charge complete time and to initiate charging of the battery on or before the cutoff charge begin time.

13. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive user input specifying a cost minimization mode of battery charging and, in response to the input specifying the cost minimization mode of battery charging, to determine when, during the time period, a cost of energy from the off-board energy source is at a minimum or below a threshold cost.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to cause the battery to be charged during at least a portion of the time period when the cost is at the minimum or below the threshold cost.

15. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the input specifying the cost minimization mode of battery charging further specifies the threshold cost.

16. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive input specifying at least one of a charge start time and charge complete time and wherein the time period available for charging the battery is determined by the at least one of the charge start time and charge complete time.

17. A vehicle comprising:

a battery configured to be selectively charged with energy from an off-board energy source; and

at least one controller configured to (i) receive user input specifying a fast mode of battery charging and (ii) in response to the input, determine a time period available for charging the battery and initiate charging of the battery at the beginning of the time period.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive input specifying at least one of a charge start time and charge complete time and wherein the time period available for charging the battery is determined by the at least one of the charge start time and charge complete time.

19. A method for charging a vehicle battery with energy from an off-board energy source comprising:

receiving input specifying a cost minimization mode of battery charging; and

in response to the input,

determining a time period available for charging the battery,

determining when, during the time period, a cost of energy from the off-board energy source is at a minimum or below a threshold cost, and

causing the battery to be charged during at least a portion of the time period when the cost is at the minimum or below the threshold cost to minimize the cost of charging the battery.

20. The method claim 19 further comprising

receiving user input specifying a green energy mode of battery charging and,

in response to the input specifying the green energy mode of battery charging,

determining when, during the time period, the energy available from the off-board energy source is identified as being green energy, and

causing the battery to be charged during at least a portion of the time period when the energy available from the off-board energy source is identified as being green energy.