Plug-in vehicle management system

• US 8,321,081 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US12/702,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20100204865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.18, 340/426.22, 340/426.23
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/28 Door position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/30 Preventing theft during charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A plug-in vehicle management system enables charging of a plug-in vehicle from a power supply station through an electric power line and power line communication between the power supply station and the vehicle. When a vehicle-side connector and a station-side connector are connected to enable the power-line communication between a vehicle-side power line communication section and a station-side power line communication section, a vehicle-side security control section and a station-side security control section cooperate so that one of a vehicle-side input/output section and a station-side input/output section receives an input signal and transmits it to the other of the vehicle-side input/output section and the station-side input/output section.

Claims

1. A plug-in vehicle management system, which performs charging of a plug-in vehicle by a power supply station through a power supply line, the plug-in vehicle management system comprising:

a vehicle-side connector provided at a vehicle-side part of the power supply line;

a battery provided in the plug-in vehicle to be charged through the power supply line;

a station-side connector provided at a station-side part of the power supply line and connectable to the vehicle side connector;

a commercial power source connection for supplying the station-side part of the power supply line with commercial voltage;

a vehicle-side power line communication section provided in the plug-in vehicle for performing power line communication with the power supply station through the power supply line;

a vehicle-side security control section provided in the plug-in vehicle and connected to the vehicle-side power line communication section;

a station-side power line communication section provided in the power supply station for performing the power line communication with the plug-in vehicle through the power supply line;

a station-side security control section provided in the power supply station and connected to the station-side power line communication section;

an electronic certification key provided for the vehicle for locking and unlocking a door of the plug-in vehicle based on successfully performing electronic certification thereof;

an electronic certification control section provided at a foyer of the power supply station for checking (a) whether a predetermined user unlocking manipulation has been performed and (b) whether the electronic certification key is an authorized one; and

an electrically-driven lock provided at the foyer of the power supply station and unlockable when the electronic certification key is confirmed to be the authorized one by the electronic certification control section,

wherein at least one of the vehicle-side security control section and the station-side security control section is configured to detect whether the vehicle-side connector is connected to the station-side connector, and

wherein the station-side security control section is configured to unlock the electrically-driven lock, when (a) the vehicle-side security control section or the station-side security control section detects connection of the connectors and (b) the electronic certification control section confirms that the electronic certification key is the authorized one and (c) the predetermined user unlock manipulation has been performed on the electrically-driven lock provided at the power supply station or the electronic certification key for unlocking the foyer.

2. The plug-in vehicle management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a condition sensor for detecting a station condition, which includes at least one of gas supply main cock condition, light condition, foyer condition, window condition, and air-conditioner condition in the power supply station,

wherein the vehicle-side security control section or the station-side security control section is configured to detect disconnection of the vehicle-side connector from the station-side connector, and

wherein the condition sensor is configured to detect the power supply station condition when the disconnection is detected by the vehicle-side security control section or the station-side security control section.

3. A plug-in vehicle management system, which performs charging of a plug-in vehicle by a power supply station through a power supply line, the plug-in vehicle management system comprising:

a vehicle-side connector provided at a vehicle-side part of the power supply line;

a battery provided in the plug-in vehicle to be charged through the power supply line;

a station-side connector provided at a station-side part of the power supply line and connectable to the vehicle side connector;

a commercial power source connection for supplying the station-side part of the power supply line with commercial voltage;

a vehicle-side power line communication section provided in the plug-in vehicle for performing power line communication with the power supply station through the power supply line;

a vehicle-side security control section provided in the plug-in vehicle and connected to the vehicle-side power line communication section;

a station-side power line communication section provided in the power supply station for performing the power line communication with the plug-in vehicle through the power supply line;

a station-side security control section provided in the power supply station and connected to the station-side power line communication section;

an electronic certification key provided for the vehicle for locking and unlocking a door of the plug-in vehicle based on successfully performing electronic certification thereof;

an electronic certification control section provided in each of the power supply station and the plug-in vehicle for checking whether the electronic certification key is an authorized one; and

a vehicle anti-theft control section provided in the vehicle for allowing starting of a vehicle drive motor or a hybrid engine only when the electronic certification control section confirms that the electronic certification key is the authorized one,

wherein the vehicle-side security control section is configured to detect connection of the vehicle-side connector to the station-side connector and disconnection of the vehicle-side connector from the station-side connector,

wherein the vehicle-side security control section and the station-side security control section are configured to cooperate to allow charging of the battery by the commercial power source through the power supply line, when the electronic certification control section of the power supply station confirms that the electronic certification key is the authorized one at a time when connection by the vehicle-side security control section is detected,

wherein the vehicle-side security control section and the station-side security control section are configured to cooperate to inhibit charging the battery by the commercial power source through the power supply line, when the electronic certification control section of the power supply station fails to confirm that the electronic certification key is the authorized one at a time when connection by the vehicle-side security control section is detected, and

wherein the vehicle-side security control section and the station-side security control section are configured to cooperate to inhibit starting a drive motor or hybrid engine, when the electronic certification control section of the plug-in vehicle fails to confirm that the electronic certification key is the authorized one when disconnection by the vehicle-side security control section is detected.