Plug-In Electric Vehicle Interlock

• US 20110178663A1
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Crombez, Dale Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/00 Methods, circuits, or devices for controlling the traction-motor speed of electrically-propelled vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/50 Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18054 at stand still, e.g. engine in idling state hill holding B60W30/18118
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/161 for actuation by moving a closing member, e.g. door, cover or lid the switch controlling enclosed equipment H01H9/226; switches operated by a removable member, wherein one single insertion movement of a key comprises an unlocking stroke and a switch actuating stroke, e.g. security switch for safety guards H01H27/002
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

To prevent damage of a cord set used to charge a plug-in electric vehicle when the vehicle is driven away while the cord set is attached, an interlock can be provided to disable the vehicle. Such interlock may be based on a protective door over the charging receptacle being open or detection that a cord set is plugged in. However, in the event that the vehicle is in an activated state, the interlock is prevented from disabling the vehicle according to an embodiment of the disclosure. That is, undesirable disabling of the vehicle is prevented when either there is no indication of a cord set being coupled to the vehicle or the vehicle is in an activated state.

Claims

1. An interlock method for a plug-in vehicle, comprising:

enabling the vehicle when a negative result from a cord set indicator is detected;

enabling the vehicle when a positive result from the cord set indicator is detected immediately following detection of a negative result from the cord set indicator while the vehicle is continuously is activated; and

disabling the vehicle when a positive result from a cord set indicator is detected while the vehicle is deactivated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling comprises allowing a powertrain of the vehicle to provide propulsion to wheels of the vehicle in response to an action of a vehicle operator to activate the vehicle.

3. The interlock method of claim 1 wherein an activated state of the vehicle comprises the vehicle being in a torque-producing mode.

4. The interlock method of claim 3 wherein the activated state comprises a transmission of the vehicle being in one of a forward or reverse driving gear.

5. The interlock of claim 1 wherein the vehicle has at least one electric motor coupled to vehicle wheels and the disabling the vehicle comprises preventing the electric motor from providing propulsive force to vehicle wheels.

6. The interlock of claim 5 wherein the vehicle further comprises an internal combustion engine coupled to vehicle wheels and the disabling the vehicle further comprises preventing the internal combustion engine from providing propulsive force to vehicle wheels.

7. The interlock method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle has:

a charging receptacle with a protective door providing access to the charging receptacle; and

a switch mounted proximate the protective door, the switch comprising the cord set indicator.

8. The interlock method of claim 1 wherein the cord set indicator is based on detecting electrical properties consistent with a cord set being coupled to the receptacle on the vehicle.

9. An interlock for a plug-in vehicle, comprising:

a cord set indicator;

an electronic control unit coupled to a powertrain of the vehicle and the cord set indicator wherein an interlock routine of the electronic control unit disables the powertrain when the cord set indicator indicates that a charging cord is attached to the vehicle and the vehicle is deactivated and prevents disabling of the powertrain when the vehicle is activated.

10. The interlock of claim 9 wherein the vehicle being activated comprises the vehicle being in a torque-producing mode such that an operator of the vehicle may selectively command propulsion at vehicle wheels without manipulation related to the cord set indicator.

11. The interlock of claim 9, further comprising:

a charging receptacle coupled to the vehicle;

a charge door coupled to the vehicle and preventing access to the charging receptacle when in a closed position;

a switch coupled to the charge door and electronically coupled to the electronic control unit wherein a signal from the switch indicates whether the door is open or closed and the switch comprises the cord set indicator.

12. The interlock of claim 9, further comprising:

a charging receptacle coupled to the vehicle and electronically coupled to the electronic control unit wherein the electronic control unit detects whether a plug is coupled with the charging receptacle and detection of the plug comprises the cord set indicator.

13. The interlock of claim 9 wherein the electronic control unit prevents disabling of the vehicle when the vehicle is presently activated regardless of a status of the cord set indicator.

14. The interlock of claim 9, further comprising:

a charging receptacle coupled to the vehicle and electronically coupled to the electronic control unit; and

an operator indicator within a cabin of the vehicle wherein the operator indicator is electronically coupled to the electronic control unit wherein the electronic control unit turns on the operator indicator when the cord set indicator indicates that a plug is coupled to the charging receptacle.

15. An interlock method for a plug-in vehicle, comprising:

preventing the vehicle from accessing a torque-producing mode when both a positive result from a cord set indicator is detected and the vehicle is in a deactivated state; and

allowing the vehicle to access the torque-producing mode in response to one of;

a negative result from a cord set indicator; and

the vehicle currently in an activated state.

16. The interlock method of claim 15 wherein the torque-producing mode is prevented by one of disabling a powertrain of the vehicle and preventing a transmission coupled to the vehicle from accessing any forward or reverse gear.

17. The interlock method of claim 15 wherein the vehicle has a receptacle adapted to accept a cord set for charging of the vehicle, the vehicle has a protective door to cover the receptacle, the vehicle has a switch proximate the protective door, and the cord set indicator is based on a signal from the switch indicating whether the protective door is open.

18. The interlock method of claim 15 wherein the vehicle has a receptacle adapted to accept a cord set for charging of the vehicle and the cord set indicator is based on detecting presence of the cord set coupled to the receptacle.

19. The interlock method of claim 15 wherein the torque-producing mode is a mode in which the vehicle is capable of being propelled via commands by a vehicle operator by depressing an accelerator pedal coupled to the vehicle.

20. The interlock method of claim 15 wherein the torque-producing mode comprises a state of the vehicle in which a vehicle operator selectively commands a powertrain of the vehicle to propel the vehicle.