SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DISCHARGE AUTHORIZATION TO A BATTERY-POWERED VEHICLE VIA A TELEMATICS SYSTEM

• US 20120157083A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Otterson, Scott W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,335,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• 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: H04M 2203/1075 Telemetering, e.g. transmission of ambient measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6081 Service authorization mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/50 Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers H04M3/487 takes precedence; centralised dictation systems H04M11/10; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
• 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 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

The described method and system allows for the utilization of a telematics unit on a telematics-equipped vehicle to prevent the unauthorized discharge of a vehicle battery. A user may communicate an authorization request for allowing discharge of the vehicle battery through a telematics unit or telematics service provider (TSP) call center. If approved by the TSP call enter or telematics unit, an authorization, which may include an authorization code, is communicated to a charge controller which controls the discharge of the vehicle battery. Alternatively, the user may communicate an authorization code directly to the telematics unit which passes it on to the charge controller for approval.

Claims

1. A method for preventing unauthorized discharge of a battery on a telematics-equipped vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, at a telematics unit, an authorization to allow discharge of a vehicle battery;

communicating, to a charge controller, that discharge of the vehicle battery is authorized; and

discharging, by the charge controller, the vehicle battery.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a user communicates the authorization to the telematics unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an authorization request is communicated to a call center by a user and the call center communicates the authorization to the telematics unit after approving the authorization request.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the communication of the authorization request to the TSP call center further comprises:

receiving, at the telematics unit, the authorization request from the user; and

sending the authorization request from the telematics unit to the call center.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the authorization request includes security information that the call center utilizes to approve the request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication from the telematics unit to the charge controller includes an authorization code.

7. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising:

determining, by the charge controller, that the authorization code is correct, wherein the determining occurs before the discharging of the vehicle battery by the charge controller.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

stopping, by the charge controller, the discharging of the vehicle battery when a predetermined condition is met.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined condition includes at least one of:

the charge of the vehicle battery reaching a predetermined charge level;

a predetermined amount of time elapsing since the beginning of the discharging;

the charge extracted from the battery reaching a predetermined amount;

the charge controller receives a command to stop discharging; and

a charging port of the vehicle battery being disconnected.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the telematics-equipped vehicle is a plug-in type electric vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization received by the telematics unit includes an authorization code.

12. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

determining, at the telematics unit, that the authorization code is correct, wherein the determining occurs before the communicating, to a charge controller, that discharge of the vehicle battery is authorized.

13. The method of claim 5 wherein the authorization request received by the call center includes an authorization code.

14. A method for preventing unauthorized discharge of a battery on a telematics-equipped vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, at a telematics unit, an authorization request to allow discharge of a vehicle battery;

approving, at the telematics unit, the authorization request based on the content of the authorization request;

communicating, to a charge controller, that discharge of the vehicle battery is authorized; and

discharging, by the charge controller, the vehicle battery.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the authorization request is communicated to the telematics unit by a user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the authorization request includes an authorization code, and the telematics unit approves the authorization request if the telematics unit determines that the authorization code is correct.

17. A system for preventing unauthorized discharge of a vehicle battery on a telematics-equipped vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle equipped with a telematics unit, the telematics unit being adapted to receive an authorization to allow the discharging of the vehicle battery and to communicate an authorization; and

a charge controller, adapted to receive the authorization communication from the telematics unit and to control flow of charge out of the vehicle battery.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the telematics unit further comprises a user interface adapted to receive the authorization from a user.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the telematics is further adapted to communicate with a call center and wherein the call center is adapted to receive an authorization request from at least one of a user and a telematics unit, to determine whether discharge of the vehicle battery should be allowed, and to send an authorization to the telematics unit based on the call center'"'"'s determination.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the authorization communicated to the charge controller includes an authorization code and the charge controller is further adapted to determine if the authorization code is correct.