CHARGING INDICATOR LIGHT CONTROL

• US 20170240060A1
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Roberts, Daniel Paul, Mansur, William Najib, Malone, Mark Douglas, Dalrymple, Beth Ann
• Granted Patent: US 10,000,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0076 Switches therefor B60Q1/1446, B60Q1/343, B60Q1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2661 mounted on parts having other functions on wheels B60Q1/326
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5035 electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/544 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants
• 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

Abstract

A present location of a host vehicle is determined. A processor detects that the host vehicle is connected to a charging station. A predetermined setting associated with the present location is accessed. A charging indicator light that indicates that the vehicle is connected to a charging station in accordance with the predetermined setting is actuated.

Claims

1. A vehicle system, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

determine a present location of a host vehicle;

detect that the host vehicle is connected to a charging station;

access a predetermined setting associated with the present location; and

actuate a charging indicator light that indicates that the vehicle is connected to a charging station in accordance with the predetermined setting. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined setting includes at least one of;

an indicator setting for keeping the charging indicator light illuminated indefinitely while the vehicle is connected to the charging station at least while the vehicle is charging;

a deactivated setting for keeping the charging indicator light turned off while the vehicle is connected to the charging station at least while the vehicle is charging; and

a timeout setting for keeping the charging indicator light illuminated only for a predetermined period of time.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface and wherein the instructions further include instructions to:

prompt, via the user interface, a selection of options for actuating the charging indicator light;

receive, via the user interface, a user input associated with one of the selection of options;

associate the predetermined setting to one of the selection of options associated with the user interface; and

associate the predetermined setting to the present location of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising a charge port configured to electrically connect to the charging station via a charge cable.

8. The vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the charge cable includes a trigger, wherein actuating the trigger outputs a trigger signal, and wherein the instructions further include instructions to illuminate the indicator light in response to the trigger signal.

9. The vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the instructions further include instructions to:

detect removal of the charge cable from the charge port; and

transmit a notification to a vehicle owner in response to detecting that the charge cable has been removed from the charge port.

10. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further include instructions to activate a vehicle alarm subsystem in response to detecting that the charge cable has been removed from the charge port.

19. The method of claim 1.7, further comprising:

detecting removal of the charge cable from the charge port; and

transmitting a notification to a vehicle owner in response to detecting that the charge cable has been removed from the charge port.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising activating a vehicle alarm subsystem in response to detecting that the charge cable has been removed from the charge port.

4. The vehicle system of claim 2, wherein the timeout setting actuates the charging indicator light for the predetermined period of time starting when a vehicle occupant one of exits and locks the vehicle.

5. The vehicle system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined settings further include a proximity setting for illuminating the charging indicator light when a portable device is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle system of claim 5, wherein the portable device is one of a key fob, a tablet computer, and a cellular phone.

11. A method, comprising:

determining a present location of a host vehicle;

detecting that the host vehicle is connected to a charging station;

accessing a predetermined setting associated with the present location; and

actuating a charging indicator light that indicates that the vehicle is connected to a. charging station in accordance with the predetermined setting.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined setting includes at least one of:

an indicator setting for keeping the charging indicator light illuminated indefinitely while the vehicle is connected to the charging station at least while the vehicle is charging;

a deactivated setting for keeping the charging indicator light turned off while the vehicle is connected to the charging station at least while the vehicle is charging; and

a timeout setting for keeping the charging indicator light illuminated only for a predetermined period of time.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising a user interface and:

prompting, via the user interface, a selection of options for actuating the charging indicator light;

receiving, via the user interface, a user input associated with one of the selection of options;

associating the predetermined setting to one of the selection of options associated with the user interface; and

associating the predetermined setting to the present location the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the timeout setting actuates the charging indicator light for the predetermined period of time starting when a vehicle occupant one of exits and locks the vehicle. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined settings further include a proximity setting for illuminating the charging indicator light when a portable device is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle includes a charge port configured to electrically connect to the charging station via a charge cable.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the charge cable includes a trigger, wherein actuating the trigger outputs a trigger signal, and wherein the method further comprises illuminating the indicator light in response to the trigger signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the portable device is one of a key fob, a tablet computer, and a cellular phone.