System and method for optimizing use of a battery

• US 8,359,132 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Laberteaux, Kenneth P., Gulash, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/816,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20110313603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00716 in response to integrated charge or discharge current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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
• 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 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A battery optimization system and method for regulating and discharging a battery so as to optimize the use of the battery in accordance with the user'"'"'s preference is provided. The battery optimization system includes a power source, a charging/discharging station connecting the battery with the power source, and a controller in communication with the charging/discharging station. The battery optimization system further includes an input operable to provide the user'"'"'s preferences. The controller is also in communication with the battery and is operable to process battery and power source information along with user input to calculate an optimal charging/discharging cycle. The charging/discharging cycle is configured to charge or discharge the battery so as to optimize the use of the battery based upon the end user'"'"'s preference. For instance, the calculated optimal charging/discharging cycle may be based upon the user'"'"'s desire to maximize the life of the battery, or to charge the battery as inexpensively as possible.

Claims

1. A battery optimization system for regulating charging and discharging of a battery so as to optimize the use of the battery, the battery optimization system comprising:

a power source;

a charging/discharging station interconnecting the battery with the power source;

a controller in communication with the charging/discharging station and the battery, the controller having a processor operable to calculate a battery charging/discharging cycle configured to charge or discharge the battery;

a display having a plurality of charging preferences;

an input in communication the display and with the controller, the input actuated by the user and configured to prioritize each of the charging preferences in the plurality of charging preferences in accordance with the user'"'"'s selection so as rank the charging preferences in a list of preferences, the input further operable to transmit the list of preference selected by the user to the controller, the controller calculating the charging/discharging cycle in accordance with the highest ranked charging preference available with respect to the state of the battery, and the state of the charging/discharging station in instances where the user does not select the charging preference.

2. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the charging/discharging cycle is directly related to the level of power in the battery.

3. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 2, further including a first sensor in communication with the battery, the first sensor operable to detect the level of power in the battery, the controller in communication with the first sensor and processing the level of power in the battery so as to selectively actuate the charging/discharging station in accordance with the charging/discharging cycle and charge or discharge the battery.

4. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 3, further including a second sensor in communication with the power source and the controller, the second sensor operable to detect the load demand of the power source, the controller processing the load demand to selectively actuate the charging/discharging station.

5. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 4, further including a regulator in communication with the controller and the power source, the regulator processing the needs of the battery with the load demand of the power source to produce a charging/discharging rate, the regulator transmitting the charging/discharging rate to the controller, the controller processing the charging/discharging rate to calculate the charging/discharging cycle.

6. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the controller is operable to prevent the charging/discharging station from charging the vehicle when the load demand reaches a predetermined threshold.

7. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 5, further including a pricing agent in communication with the power source, the pricing agent operable to provide a price for drawing power from the power source and a refund for supplying power to the power source.

8. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the charging preference is one from a list of charging preferences including charging the battery as quickly as possible, charging the battery at the cheapest price, and charging the battery to optimize the life of the battery.

9. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller includes a load sensor, the load sensor in communication with the battery and operable to detect the amount of load experienced by the battery over a predetermined period of time, the controller processing the amount of load experienced by the battery over a predetermined period of time so as to calculate a predicted load, the controller processing the predicted load so as selectively actuate the charging/discharging station.

10. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 1, further including a receiver and a transmitter, the receiver operatively attached to the charging/discharging station and the transmitter operatively attached to the controller, the transmitter transmitting signals to the receiver so as to selectively actuate the discharging/charging station remotely.

11. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the input is further operable to transmit to the controller the duration of time in which the battery is available for charging/discharging operations, the controller processing the duration of time to calculate the charging/discharging cycle.

12. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 1, further including a list of batteries, the list of batteries having information relating to charging and discharging functions for each battery in the list, the list of batteries programmed into the controller.

13. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of charging preferences including an optimal charging/discharging cycle configured to charge the battery as quickly as possible, an optimal charging/discharging cycle configured to charge the battery as inexpensively as possible, and an optimal charging/discharging cycle configured to maximize the life of the battery.

14. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 13, further including a server, wherein the server is operable to transmit information from the controller to the charging/discharging station so as to actuate the charging/discharging station and charge or discharge the battery according to the selected optimal charging/discharging cycle.

15. The battery optimization system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the server is actuated by a web-based service provider.

16. An electric vehicle having a battery operable to assist with the actuation of the vehicle'"'"'s drive train, the electric vehicle having a connector for connecting to a power source so as to charge or discharge the battery, the electric vehicle comprising:

a controller disposed in the electric vehicle, the controller in communication with the battery;

a display having a plurality of charging preferences;

an input in communication the display and with the controller, the input operable by a user to select one of the charging preferences on the display, the input further operable to transmit to the controller one of the plurality of charging preferences selected by the user, the controller processing the state of the battery and the charging/discharging station so as to calculate the charging/discharging cycle according to the charging preference selected by the user.

17. An electric vehicle as set forth in claim 16, wherein the plurality of charging preference is one from a list of charging preferences including charging the battery as quickly as possible, charging the battery at the cheapest price, and charging the battery to optimize the life of the battery.

18. An electric vehicle as set forth in claim 16, further including a transmitter and a receiver operable to transmit and receive signals from the power source, the controller processing the signals so as to charge or discharge the battery in accordance with the charging/discharging cycle.

19. A method for calculating an optimal charging/discharging cycle configured to charge and discharge a battery, the battery coupled to a power source, the power source configured to charge the battery or draw power from the battery, the optimal charging/discharging cycle configured to optimize the use of the battery in accordance with a user'"'"'s preference, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a controller configured to determine the state of the power source, the controller further configured to detect the state of the battery, the controller having a processor configured to calculate a charging/discharging cycle, the charging/discharging cycle configured to charge or discharge the battery;

providing a display having a plurality of charging preferences;

providing an input configured to select one of the charging preferences on the display, the input further configured to prioritize each of the charging preferences in the plurality of charging preferences so as to rank the charging preferences in a list of preferences; and

the processor further configured to automatically calculate the charging/discharging cycle in accordance with the highest ranked charging preference available with respect to the state of the battery, and the state of the charging/discharging station in instances where the user does not select a charging preference.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the plurality of charging preferences includes an optimal charging/discharging cycle configured to charge the battery as inexpensively as possible, and an optimal charging/discharging cycle configured to maximize the life of the battery, and an optimal charging/discharging cycle configured to charge the battery as quickly as possible.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20 further including the step of providing an input, the input operable to select one of the optimal charging/discharging cycles from the list of preferences.