DEPARTURE TIME SCHEDULING CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20130271074A1
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Federico, Donald, Smith, Daniel Todd, Kondo, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,128,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

The departure time scheduling control system includes an electric vehicle having an electric power storage device and an interior climate control device operable to vary an interior temperature. A user interface includes a display and an input portion which allows a user to schedule a departure time having a temperature setting and a charge mode setting having an immediate mode and a delayed mode. A charger unit controls the charging of the electric power storage device to the preset charge level accordingly to the charge mode setting by the departure time. A controller activates the interior climate control device to bring the interior temperature to the temperature setting by the departure time. The controller also activates the charger unit to charge the electric power storage device according to the charge mode setting to the preset charge level by said departure time.

Claims

1. A departure time scheduling control system comprising:

an electric vehicle having an electric power storage device and an interior climate control device operable to vary an interior temperature of said vehicle;

a user interface having a display portion and an input portion, said user interface operable to allow a user to schedule a departure time using said input portion, said departure time including a temperature setting and a charge mode setting, said charge mode setting having an immediate mode and a delayed mode;

a charger unit operable to control the supply of electric power from an external power supply to charge the electric power storage device to a preset charge level; and

a controller that activates said interior climate control device to bring said interior temperature of said vehicle to said temperature setting by said departure time, and said controller activates said charger unit to charge said electric power storage device to said preset charge level according to said charge mode setting by said departure time.

2. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 1, further comprising:

an external power supply connector that connects and disconnects to said external power supply, said external power supply connector supplies electric power from said external power supply to said electric power storage device;

said charger unit operable to detect whether said external power supply connector is connected to said external power supply, said charger unit operable to control said external power supply connector to supply power to said electric power storage device to charge said electric power storage device to said preset charge level;

said controller activates said charger unit to charge said electric power storage device to said preset charge level when said charger unit detects that said external power supply connector is connected to said external power supply according to said charge mode setting.

3. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 2, wherein said charger unit in said immediate mode charges said electric power storage device to said preset charge level immediately upon detection of connection between the external power supply connector and said external power supply, and said charger unit in said delayed mode charges said electric power storage device to said preset charge level by said departure time;

4. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 1 further comprising a scheduling database operable to store said inputted departure time.

5. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 4, wherein said scheduling database is operable to store a departure time for each day of the week.

6. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 5, wherein said scheduling database is operable to store a first departure time and a second departure time for each day of the week.

7. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 6, wherein said display portion displays a schedule illustrating each day of the week and said departure times associated with each day of the week.

8. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 7, wherein said display portion of said user interface displays said departure time including said temperature setting and said charge setting for an immediate upcoming scheduled departure time upon shutoff of said electric vehicle.

9. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 1 further comprising a terminal portable with respect to the electric vehicle, said terminal operable to schedule or cancel a departure time.

10. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 9, wherein said terminal is a key fob.

11. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 9, wherein said terminal is a cellular phone.

12. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 1, wherein said control device cancels control of said interior climate control device after an expiration of a predetermined time period after said departure time.

13. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 1, wherein said controller activates said interior climate control device to bring said interior temperature of said vehicle to said temperature setting by said departure time stored in said scheduling unit when said external power supply connector is connected to or disconnected from said external power source.

14. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 1, wherein said electric vehicle includes an exterior temperature sensor to detect an exterior temperature and an interior temperature sensor to detect said interior temperature of said electric vehicle,

wherein said temperature setting includes an auto setting having a heating mode and a cooling mode, said auto setting having an auto temperature selectable by said user, said auto setting operable in said heating mode when said auto temperature is below a preset threshold and said auto setting operable in said cooling mode when said auto temperature is above said preset threshold, and

wherein in said heating mode said controller activates said interior climate control device to bring said interior temperature of said vehicle to said temperature setting when said interior temperature or said exterior temperature is equal to or lower than said auto temperature, and wherein in said cooling mode said controller activates said interior climate control device to bring said interior temperature of said vehicle to said temperature setting when said interior temperature or said exterior temperature is greater than said auto temperature.

15. The departure time scheduling control system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle includes a vehicle seat having a seat heater, and wherein said temperature setting includes a heated seat setting having an on and an off mode, and wherein said controller activates the interior climate control system to activate said heated seat by said departure time when said heated seat setting is in said on mode.