REMOTE INDICATOR OF STATE OF CHARGING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20190061549A1
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Published: 02/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ENEL X Way USA LLC
• Original Assignee: Electric Motor Werks, Inc. (ENEL SPA)
• Inventors: Miftakhov, Valery
• Granted Patent: US 10,946,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• 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: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• 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: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A remote visual indicator of a state of charging of an electric and/or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (EV and PHEV). In one or more embodiments, the aforesaid visual indicator incorporates a multi-color light source, such as a multi-color LED and uses the color of the emitted light to indicate the state of the EV/PHEV charging. In one or more embodiment, the aforesaid visual indicator incorporates one or more buttons or other user-activated controls configured to alter the charging of the EV/PHEV by the charging stations. In one or more embodiments, a sound generation element may be additionally provided for creating audible indicators of charging state.

Claims

1. A system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle, the system comprising:

a. at least one vehicle charging station electrically connectable to the vehicle and operable to charge the vehicle using an electrical power;

b. a visual indicator of a state of charge of the vehicle; and

c. a control server comprising at least one processing unit and a memory and communicatively coupled to the at least one vehicle charging station and the visual indicator of the state of charge of the vehicle, wherein the visual indicator of the state of charge of the vehicle is operable to receive information on the state of charge of the vehicle from the control server and to provide the received information to the user.

2. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises a multi-color light emitting diode.

3. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 2, wherein a light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode is indicative of the state of charge of the vehicle.

4. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 3, wherein green light color of the light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode indicates high level of vehicle charging.

5. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 3, wherein yellow light color of the light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode indicates medium level of vehicle charging.

6. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 3, wherein red light color of the light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode indicates low level of vehicle charging.

7. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 2, wherein a light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode is indicative of a quality of grid power used in the vehicle charging.

8. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 2, wherein a light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode is indicative of a percentage of renewable power used in the vehicle charging.

9. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein green light color of the light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode indicates high percentage of renewable power used in the vehicle charging.

10. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein yellow light color of the light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode indicates medium percentage of renewable power used in the vehicle charging.

11. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein red light color of the light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode indicates low percentage of renewable power used in the vehicle charging.

12. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 2, wherein a light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode is indicative of a cost of electrical power used in the vehicle charging.

13. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 12, wherein green light color of the light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode indicates low cost of electrical power used in the vehicle charging.

14. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 12, wherein yellow light color of the light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode indicates medium cost of electrical power used in the vehicle charging.

15. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 12, wherein red light color of the light color emitted by the multi-color light emitting diode indicates high cost of electrical power used in the vehicle charging.

16. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises a control for controlling the vehicle charging and wherein the visual indicator is configured to send a vehicle charging command to the vehicle charging station.

17. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the charging command is sent to the vehicle charging station via the control server.

18. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control server is a cloud server.

19. The system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator connects to the control server via an application programming interface (API).

20. A system for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle, the system comprising:

a. at least one vehicle charging station electrically connectable to the vehicle and operable to charge the vehicle using an electrical power;

b. a visual indicator of a state of charge of the vehicle communicatively coupled to the at least one vehicle charging station; and

c. a control server comprising at least one processing unit and a memory and communicatively coupled to the at least one vehicle charging station, wherein the visual indicator of the state of charge of the vehicle is operable to receive information on the state of charge of the vehicle from the vehicle charging station and to provide the received information to the user.

21. A method for charging an electric or hybrid-electric vehicle, the system comprising:

a. providing at least one vehicle charging station electrically connectable to the vehicle and operable to charge the vehicle using an electrical power;

b. providing a visual indicator of a state of charge of the vehicle; and

c. providing a control server comprising at least one processing unit and a memory and communicatively coupled to the at least one vehicle charging station and the visual indicator of the state of charge of the vehicle, wherein the visual indicator of the state of charge of the vehicle is operable to receive information on the state of charge of the vehicle from the control server and to provide the received information to the user.