Method and Apparatus for Electric Powered Vehicle Recharging Safety

• US 20130229656A1
• Filed: 04/17/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Jinshui
• Granted Patent: US 8,610,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/400
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a charging pin in a recharging inlet of an electric powered vehicle (EPV) recharging inlet, a ground pin in the recharging inlet and substantially parallel to the charging pin, a safety pin in the recharging inlet and substantially parallel to the charging pin and the ground pin, an electric power source coupled to the safety pin, and a control circuit coupled to the electric power source and the safety pin, wherein the length of the safety pin extended in the recharging inlet is substantially shorter than the length of the ground pin and longer than the length of the charging pin.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a recharging inlet inside an electric powered vehicle (EPV);

a light source coupled to the inside wall of the EPV recharging inlet;

a light detector located within the EPV recharging inlet and positioned between the recharging inlet pins and the light source; and

a plurality of threads around the inside wall of the recharging inlet and positioned between the light source and the light detector,

wherein the light detector is configured to detect light from the light source and/or external light,

wherein the threads are configured to receive a housing cap that substantially blocks light from the light source and external light from reaching the light detector when the housing cap is properly mounted onto the EPV recharging inlet, and

wherein the threads are configured to allow light from at least one of the light sources and external light to reach the light detector when the housing cap is not properly mounted onto the EPV recharging inlet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the threads do not impede a light path from the light source to the light detector.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing cap comprises a plurality of second threads on an outside wall of an extended cap part, and wherein the second threads are configured to interlock with the threads on the inside wall of the EPV recharging inlet when the housing cap is properly mounted onto the EPV recharging inlet to block light from the light source and external light from reaching the light detector.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the EPV recharging inlet is configured to allow light from at least one of the light sources and external light to reach the light detector when a recharging cable is coupled to the recharging inlet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a control circuit coupled to the light source and the light detector, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a voltage level signal from the light detector, send a control signal to the light source, and send an alarm to a driver.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a second light detector at the edge of the EPV recharging inlet that is coupled to the control circuit, wherein the second light detector is configured to detect external light, and wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a second voltage level signal from the second light detector.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the light source receives power from an EPV battery coupled to the control circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED), and wherein the light detector comprises a photodiode.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED), and wherein the light detector comprises a photodiode.

9. An electric powered vehicle (EPV) comprising:

a recharging inlet;

a light source coupled to the inside wall of the recharging inlet;

a light detector located within the recharging inlet and positioned between the recharging inlet pins and the light source; and

a plurality of threads around the inside wall of the recharging inlet and positioned between the light source and the light detector, wherein the light detector is configured to detect light from the light source and/or external light, wherein the threads are configured to receive a housing cap that substantially blocks light from the light source and external light from reaching the light detector when the housing cap is properly mounted onto the recharging inlet, and wherein the threads are configured to allow light from at least one of the light sources and external light to reach the light detector when the housing cap is not properly mounted onto the recharging inlet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the threads do not impede a light path from the light source to the light detector.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the housing cap comprises a plurality of second threads on an outside wall of an extended cap part, and wherein the second threads are configured to interlock with the threads on the inside wall of the recharging inlet when the housing cap is properly mounted onto the recharging inlet to block light from the light source and external light from reaching the light detector.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the recharging inlet is configured to allow light from at least one of the light sources and external light to reach the light detector when a recharging cable is coupled to the recharging inlet.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a control circuit coupled to the light source and the light detector, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a voltage level signal from the light detector, send a control signal to the light source, and send an alarm to a driver.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a second light detector at the edge of the recharging inlet that is coupled to the control circuit, wherein the second light detector is configured to detect external light, and wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a second voltage level signal from the second light detector.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light source receives power from an battery coupled to the control circuit.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a recharging inlet, wherein the recharging inlet has an inside wall and a plurality of recharging inlet pins;

a light source coupled to the inside wall of the recharging inlet;

a light detector located within the recharging inlet and positioned between the recharging inlet pins and the light source; and

a plurality of threads around the inside wall of the recharging inlet and positioned between the light source and the light detector,

wherein the light detector is configured to detect light from the light source and/or external light,

wherein the threads are configured to receive a housing cap that substantially blocks light from the light source and external light from reaching the light detector when the housing cap is properly mounted onto the recharging inlet, and

wherein the threads are configured to allow light from at least one of the light sources and external light to reach the light detector when the housing cap is not properly mounted onto the recharging inlet.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the housing cap comprises a plurality of second threads on an outside wall of an extended cap part, and wherein the second threads are configured to interlock with the threads on the inside wall of the recharging inlet when the housing cap is properly mounted onto the recharging inlet to block light from the light source and external light from reaching the light detector.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a control circuit coupled to the light source and the light detector, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a voltage level signal from the light detector, send a control signal to the light source, and send an alarm to a driver.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the light source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED), and wherein the light detector comprises a photodiode.