Vehicle Utility Communication System

• US 20110106336A1
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alevo, Inc. (Alevo Group SA)
• Original Assignee: Alevo, Inc. (Alevo Group SA)
• Inventors: Eikeland, Jostein, Christiansen, Stein, Christiansen, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/768,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/625 by GSM
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• 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 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 58/12 : responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 : responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 : having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 : Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 : using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 : the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 : Video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/003 : for electricity
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 : characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 : using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 : using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 : by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 : involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 : adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 : for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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 20/221 : General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A charger configured to charge at least one battery used in transportation means or stationary equipment, includes a plurality of power connections configured to couple to a plurality of power sources. The charger is adapted to receive power from the plurality of power sources simultaneously.

Claims

1. A charger configured to charge at least one battery used in transportation means or stationary equipment, comprising:

a plurality of power connections configured to couple to a plurality of power sources, wherein the charger is adapted to receive power from the plurality of power sources simultaneously.

2. The charger of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of charger modules each configured to couple to one or more battery packs.

3. The charger of claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of power converters each coupled to one of the modules and adapted to independently receive power from one or more of the power sources and supply direct current to the corresponding charger module.

4. The charger of claim 2, further comprising:

a charger management unit coupled to the plurality of charger modules wherein depending on level of charge in the battery packs coupled to each charger module and the power capacity of each of the power sources, the charger management unit determines which of the charger modules receives or supplies charge.

5. The charger of claim 4, wherein the charger management unit is configured to provide regulation up or down when the charger is connected to a power grid.

6. The charger of claim 2, further comprising:

a charger management unit coupled to the plurality of charger modules, and configured to monitor each of the battery packs coupled to the charger modules, wherein the charger management unit controls the flow of power to the battery packs.

7. The charger of claim 2, further comprising:

a charger management unit coupled to the plurality of charger modules, and configured to monitor each of the battery packs coupled to the charger modules; and

at least one capacitor coupled to the charger, wherein the charger management unit is configured to transfer sludge energy from each of the battery packs to the capacitor during charging process.

8. The charger of claim 1, wherein the multiple power sources can supply the same or different voltage levels.

9. A charger configured to charge at least a battery used in a transportation means or stationary equipment, comprising:

a plurality of charger modules each configured to couple to one or more battery packs.

10. The charger of claim 9 further comprising:

a plurality of power connections configured to couple to a plurality of power sources, wherein the charger is adapted to receive power from the plurality of power sources simultaneously.

11. The charger of claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of power converters each coupled to one of the charger modules and adapted to independently receive power from one or more of the power sources and supply direct current to the corresponding charger module.

12. The charger of claim 9, further comprising:

a charger management unit coupled to the plurality of charger modules wherein depending on the level of charge in the battery packs in each charger module and the power capacity of each of the power sources, the charger management unit determines which charger modules receive or supply charge.

13. The charger of claim 12, wherein the charger management unit is configured to regulate up or down.

14. The charger of claim 9, further comprising:

a charger management unit coupled to the plurality of charger modules, and configured to monitor each of the battery packs coupled to the charger modules, wherein the charger management unit controls the flow of power to the battery packs.

15. The charger of claim 9, further comprising:

a charger management unit coupled to the plurality of charger modules, and configured to monitor each of the battery packs coupled to the charger modules; and

at least one capacitor coupled to the charger, wherein the charger management unit is configured to transfer sludge energy from each of the battery packs to the capacitor during charging process.

16. The charger of claim 10, wherein the multiple power sources can supply the same or different voltage levels.

17. A signal processor coupled to a charger and configured to monitor and detect grid surveillance initiated by a utility company when the charger is coupled to the grid, the signal processor being configured to transfer a sequence of binary pulses into the grid via a power socket in response to a signal provided by the utility company.

18. The signal processor of claim 17, wherein the sequence of binary pulses enables a utility company to determine the location of the signal processor within the grid.

19. The signal processor of claim 17, wherein the signal processor is coupled to a telemetric device and is configured to transfer data supplied by the telemetric unit to the utility company via the sequence of binary pulses.

20. A system for determining location of a transportation means, the system comprising:

a telemetric unit coupled to the transportation means and configured to triangulate the location of transportation means by utilizing global positioning system, global system for mobile communication network and radio signals, wherein the telemetric unit is further configured to use acquired location from each of the global positioning system, global system for mobile communication network and radio signals to determine the location of the transportation means.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the telemetric unit further utilizes wide area augmentation system (WAAS) in pinpointing the location of the transportation means.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the telemetric unit is configured to use each of the global system for mobile communication network and radio signals for determining the location of the transportation means when global positioning system is not available.

23. A method for determining location of a transportation means in a power grid, the method comprising:

determining the location of the transportation means using a satellite global positioning system,

determining the location of the transportation means using global system for mobile communication networks; and

determining the location of the transportation means using radio signals, wherein acquired locations using satellite global positioning system, global system for mobile communication networks and radio signals are compared and the location of the transportation means is calculated with improved accuracy.

24. A system for monitoring and billing of owners of vehicle adapted to connect to a power grid and provide regulation up or down, the system comprising:

a telemetric unit coupled to the vehicle and configured to wirelessly transmit the location of the vehicle and amount of power received from the power grid or supplied to the power grid to a billing and provisioning center which in response charges or credits the vehicle owner'"'"'s account or the owner of the socket to which the vehicle is connected.

25. A safety system for use in vehicles adapted to connect to the power grid for supplying power to the power grid or receiving power from the power grid, the safety system comprising:

a telemetric unit coupled to the vehicle and configured to receive a wireless command, wherein upon receiving the wireless command, the telemetric unit commands a charger coupled to the vehicle to stop receiving charge from or supply charge to the power grid.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the wireless command is provided via a low frequency radio signal.

27. A video recording and transmission system for use in vehicles, the system comprising:

a plurality of video cameras coupled to a vehicle and positioned so as to capture video footage of external perimeter and internal space of the vehicle; and

a telemetric unit coupled to the plurality of video cameras and configured to archive the recording from each of the video cameras for a predetermined amount of time and wirelessly transmit the recorded video to a third party at specific time interval or upon request.