Multi-Mode Display

• US 20120169511A1
• Filed: 01/04/2012
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grenwave Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Greenwave Reality, Pte Ltd. (Greenwave Reality, Inc.)
• Inventors: Windstrup, Sonny, Manniche, Martin, Jonsson, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 8,907,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• 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: 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 networked display has multiple modes of operation. In the first operating mode, the display receives and shows information related to charging an electric vehicle. In a second mode of operation, the display receives and shows information related to home energy usage. Other operating modes may also be supported.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display module including a fixed set of displayable elements; and

a networked controller to receive data related to charging an electric vehicle and to energy usage over a network and to control the display module;

wherein the display module shows information about charging an electric vehicle in a first operating mode of the display apparatus; and

the display module shows information about energy usage in a second operating mode of the display apparatus.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one element of the fixed set of displayable elements is only used in the first operating mode, and at least one subset of displayable elements of the fixed set of displayable elements has a different meaning in the first operating mode than the meaning of said at least one subset of displayable elements in the second operating mode.

3. The display apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least one element of the fixed set of displayable elements that is only displayed in the first operating mode is an icon to represent an electric vehicle.

4. The display apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least one subset of displayable element is a multi-purpose gauge, and the multipurpose gauge displays a battery charge level for an electric vehicle in the first operating mode and an energy usage in the second operating mode.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a transparent color overlay mounted over the display module;

wherein the display module is a monochrome display.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one user operable input mechanism;

wherein the at least one user operable input mechanism may change the operating mode of the display between the first operating mode and the second operating mode.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixed set of displayable elements comprise:

an icon representing an electric vehicle; and

at least one currency symbol.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixed set of displayable elements comprise:

an icon representing an electric vehicle; and

two or more currency symbols to represent the currency of two or more different countries.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixed set of displayable elements comprise:

an icon representing an electric vehicle;

two or more currency symbols to represent the currency of two or more different countries;

an icon to represent a fan;

an icon to represent air conditioning;

an icon to represent a thermostat;

a clock;

a wireless signal strength meter; and

a low battery indication.

10. A system to monitor charging an electric vehicle, the system comprising:

a charger to charge a battery in the electric vehicle;

a display apparatus capable of communication with the charger, the display apparatus comprising;

a display module including a fixed set of displayable elements; and

a networked controller to receive data related to charging an electric vehicle and energy usage over a network and to control the display module;

wherein the display module shows information about charging the electric vehicle in a first operating mode of the display apparatus; and

the display module shows information about energy usage in a second operating mode of the display apparatus.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the fixed set of displayable elements includes an icon to represent an electric vehicle that is only displayed in the first operating mode.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a transparent color overlay mounted over the display module;

wherein the display module is a monochrome display.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one user operable input mechanism;

wherein the operating mode of the display is changed between the first operating mode and the second operating mode in response to an operation of the at least one user operable input mechanism.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the fixed set of displayable elements comprise:

an icon representing an electric vehicle;

at least one currency symbol.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the fixed set of displayable elements comprise:

an icon representing an electric vehicle;

two or more currency symbols to represent the currency of two or more different countries.

16. A method comprising:

receiving data related to charging a battery of an electric vehicle over a network;

receiving data related to energy usage over the network;

displaying information based on the data received related to the charging of the battery of the electric vehicle using a set of fixed display elements in a first operating mode; and

displaying information based on the data received related to the energy usage using the set of fixed display elements in a second operating mode.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fixed set of displayable elements includes an icon to represent an electric vehicle that is only used in the first operating mode.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting a user input; and

switching operating modes based on the user input.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the fixed set of displayable elements comprise:

an icon representing an electric vehicle;

at least one currency symbol.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the fixed set of displayable elements comprise:

an icon representing an electric vehicle;

two or more currency symbols to represent the currency of two or more different countries.