SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CHARGING A PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20130175974A1
• Filed: 01/09/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Newhouse, Vernon L., Bassham, Marjorie A., Spigno, Ciro A. Jr., Muller, Brett T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,637,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/64 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/32 by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• 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

Abstract

A charging system and method that may be used to automatically apply customized charging settings to a plug-in electric vehicle, where application of the settings is based on the vehicle'"'"'s location. According to an exemplary embodiment, a user may establish and save a separate charging profile with certain customized charging settings for each geographic location where they plan to charge their plug-in electric vehicle. Whenever the plug-in electric vehicle enters a new geographic area, the charging method may automatically apply the charging profile that corresponds to that area. Thus, the user does not have to manually change or manipulate the charging settings every time they charge the plug-in electric vehicle in a new location.

Claims

1. A method for charging a plug-in electric vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing one or more charging profile(s), each charging profile is associated with a certain profile area;

(b) obtaining a current location for the plug-in electric vehicle;

(c) determining if the current location for the plug-in electric vehicle corresponds to a certain profile area; and

(d) if the current location for the plug-in electric vehicle corresponds to a stored profile area, then using the associated charging profile to charge the plug-in electric vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises locally receiving one or more user-defined charging setting(s) via a user interface in the plug-in electric vehicle, and then storing a charging profile that includes the user-defined charging setting(s).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises remotely receiving one or more user-defined charging setting(s) via a communications module in the plug-in electric vehicle, and then storing a charging profile that includes the user-defined charging setting(s).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises obtaining a current location for the plug-in electric vehicle and automatically establishing a profile area using the current location, and then storing a charging profile that is associated with the profile area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving geographic input from a user and manually establishing a profile area using the geographic input, and then storing a charging profile that is associated with the profile area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises storing a charging profile that includes at least one user-defined charging setting selected from the group consisting of:

a charging mode, a charging level, a charging time, or a charging preference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises obtaining a current location for the plug-in electric vehicle from a GPS unit located on the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises comparing the current location for the plug-in electric vehicle to one or more stored profile area(s) in order to determine if the current vehicle location falls within a stored profile area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein step (c) further comprises converting the current vehicle location from one form to another, and then comparing the converted vehicle location to one or more stored profile area(s).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(e) if the current location for the plug-in electric vehicle does not correspond to a stored profile area, then establishing a new charging profile to charge the plug-in electric vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (e) further comprises establishing a new charging profile according to a manual method that utilizes a user interface in the plug-in electric vehicle to provide one or more charging setting(s) from the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein step (e) further comprises establishing a new charging profile according to a default method that utilizes an electronic memory device in the plug-in electric vehicle to provide one or more default or previously used charging setting(s).

13. The method of claim 10, wherein step (e) further comprises establishing a new charging profile according to a community method that utilizes a collection or repository of shared charging information from other plug-in electric vehicles to provide one or more charging setting(s).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein step (e) further comprises exchanging wireless information between a communications module on the plug-in electric vehicle and a back-end facility that maintains a database that stores the collection or repository of shared charging information.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises using the associated charging profile to automatically establish one or more user-defined charging setting(s) without requiring any intervention on the part of the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein step (d) further comprises applying the user-defined charging setting(s) to a process for charging the plug-in electric vehicle.

17. A method for charging a plug-in electric vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a plurality of charging profiles, each charging profile includes a set of user-defined charging settings and is associated with a certain profile area;

(b) obtaining a current location for the plug-in electric vehicle;

(c) comparing the current location for the plug-in electric vehicle to the plurality of stored profile areas; and

(d) establishing a set of user-defined charging settings for charging the plug-in electric vehicle based on the comparison between the current location of the plug-in electric vehicle and the stored profile areas.

18. A system for charging a plug-in electric vehicle, comprising:

a power connection for connecting to an external power source;

a battery charger coupled to the power connection;

a battery coupled to the battery charger;

a global positioning system (GPS) unit for determining the current position of the plug-in electric vehicle; and

a control module electronically coupled to the GPS unit for receiving vehicle location signals and electronically coupled to the battery charger for providing charging command signals, wherein the control module is configured so that it uses the vehicle location signals to automatically establish the charging command signals with one or more user-defined charging setting(s).