ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION PARKING SPOT MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20190031038A1
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Published: 01/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pursifull, Ross Dykstra, Surnilla, Gopichandra, Makled, Daniel A., Hakeem, Mohannad, McQuillen, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,525,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for electric vehicle charging station parking spot monitoring system. An example electric vehicle charging station includes a communication module, sensors, and a charge controller. The communication module communicatively couples to a vehicle parked in a parking spot associated with the charging station. The sensors monitor the parking spot. The charge controller receives identifying information and battery information from the vehicle parked in the parking spot, and when the vehicle is not eligible for charging, sends the identifying information of the vehicle to a parking enforcement authority.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging station comprising:

a communication module to communicatively couple to a vehicle parked in a parking spot associated with the charging station;

sensors to monitor the parking spot; and

a charge controller to;

receive identifying information and battery information from the vehicle parked in the parking spot; and

when the vehicle is not eligible for charging, send the identifying information of the vehicle to a parking enforcement authority.

2. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is eligible for charging when the vehicle is an electric vehicle and a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle is less than a charge threshold.

3. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the charge controller is to, when the vehicle is eligible for charging, determine whether a plug of the charging station is connected to a power port of the vehicle.

4. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 3, wherein the charge controller is to, when the plug of the charging station not connected to the power port of the vehicle, send a message to the vehicle to provide an alert to connect the vehicle to the charging station.

5. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 3, wherein the charge controller is to, when the plug of the charging station not connected to the power port of the vehicle after a threshold period of time, send the identifying information of the vehicle to the parking enforcement authority.

6. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the sensors include at least one of a camera or a range detection sensor.

7. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the charge controller is to, when the vehicle is an electric vehicle and a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle is greater than a charge threshold, send a message to the vehicle requesting the vehicle move.

8. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein one of the sensors is a camera, and wherein the charge controller is to, when the communication module cannot communicatively couple to the vehicle, retrieve identifying information of the vehicle via the camera.

9. A method of operating a electric vehicle charging station comprising

monitoring, with a sensor, a parking spot associated with an electric vehicle charging station;

in response to detecting a vehicle park in the parking spot;

establishing wireless communication, via a communication module, with the vehicle;

receiving identifying information and battery information from the vehicle via the communication module;

determining, with a processer, whether the vehicle is eligible for charging based on the identifying information and battery information; and

when the vehicle is not eligible for charging, sending the identifying information of the vehicle to a parking enforcement authority.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle is eligible for charging when the vehicle is an electric vehicle and a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle is less than a charge threshold.

11. The method of claim 9, including when the vehicle is eligible for charging, determining whether a plug of the charging station is connected to a power port of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, including when the plug of the charging station not connected to the power port of the vehicle after a threshold period of time, sending the identifying information of the vehicle to the parking enforcement authority.

13. The method of claim 9, including when the vehicle is an electric vehicle and a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle is greater than a charge threshold, sending a message to the vehicle requesting the vehicle move.

14. The method of claim 9, including when the communication module cannot communicatively couple to the vehicle, retrieving identifying information of the vehicle via a camera.

15. The method of claim 9, including when the parking spot is empty, broadcasting, via the communication module, an advertisement message including location information of the charging station.