PROGRAMMABLE CABIN CONDITIONER FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND METHOD OF CONDITIONING A CABIN OF AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20130234651A1
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: BUFORD, Keith D.
• Application Number:
  US13/418,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20130234651A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00778 the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• 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 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
• 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

A programmable cabin conditioner for an electric vehicle includes a power charging system configured to provide power to a battery of the electric vehicle. Also included is a cabin conditioning system configured to receive input from a user to provide a desired cabin conditioning environment prior to a departure time, wherein the cabin conditioning system is operated during operation of the power charging system and subsequent to a fully charged state of the battery.

Claims

1. A programmable cabin conditioner for an electric vehicle comprising:

a power charging system configured to provide power to a battery of the electric vehicle; and

a cabin conditioning system configured to receive input from a user to provide a desired cabin conditioning environment prior to a departure time, wherein the cabin conditioning system is operated during operation of the power charging system and subsequent to a fully charged state of the battery.

2. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 1, wherein the desired cabin conditioning environment comprises a target temperature.

3. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 2, wherein the cabin conditioning system selectively determines an initiation time to achieve the target temperature prior to the departure time selected by the user.

4. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 2, wherein the cabin conditioning system is configured to provide the desired cabin conditioning system for a plurality of departure times.

5. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 4, wherein the plurality of departure times occurs on a plurality of days.

6. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 2, wherein the power charging system receives a power cost schedule.

7. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 6, wherein the power charging system provides power to the battery at a minimum cost time of the power cost schedule.

8. A programmable cabin conditioner for an electric vehicle comprising:

a user interface configured to provide a user the ability to program a completion time for a desired cabin conditioning environment to be produced;

a power charging system comprising a battery and a charging source for generating power to the battery of the electric vehicle; and

a controller in operable communication with the user interface for selectively determining an initiation time to provide the desired cabin conditioning environment and a fully charged state of the battery prior to the completion time provided by the user.

9. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 8, wherein the desired cabin conditioning environment comprises a target temperature.

10. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 9, wherein the user interface receives a plurality of completion times from the user.

11. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 10, wherein the plurality of completion times occurs on a plurality of days.

12. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 9, wherein the power charging system receives a power cost schedule.

13. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 12, wherein the power charging system provides power to the battery at a minimum cost time of the power cost schedule.

14. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 9, wherein the user interface is disposed at an onboard location of the electric vehicle.

15. The programmable cabin conditioner of claim 14, wherein the user interface comprises a remote device.

16. A method of conditioning a cabin of an electric vehicle comprising:

charging a battery of the electric vehicle with a power charging system;

programming a cabin conditioning system to produce a desired cabin conditioning environment prior to a completion time; and

operating the cabin conditioning system during operation of the power charging system and subsequent to a fully charged state of the battery.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising selectively detecting an initiation time capable of providing the desired cabin conditioning environment prior to the completion time.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the desired cabin conditioning environment comprises a target temperature.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising programming a plurality of completion times.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of completion times occur on a plurality of days.