Automated recharging system

• US 8,368,348 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semaconnect, Inc. (Blink Charging Co.)
• Original Assignee: Semaconnect, Inc. (Blink Charging Co.)
• Inventors: Reddy, Mahidhar
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US12/211,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

An automated recharging system to automatically recharge a vehicle is disclosed. A recharging device may be incorporated into the automated recharging system to perform the automatic recharge. The recharging device may include one or more sensors to sense the location of an electrical receptacle of the vehicle, an electrical connector to automatically connect to the receptacle to provide electrical current through the connection, and a controller to cause the connection to be made so as to automatically recharge the vehicle.

Claims

1. In a system including a recharging device having a connector configured to connect to a vehicle via a receptacle, a method for automatically recharging the vehicle, the method comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the recharging device by;

detecting the location of the vehicle based on a signal from the vehicle,

calculating the distance between the detected location and the recharging device, and

determining that the vehicle is within the predetermined distance if the calculated distance is less than or equal to the predetermined distance;

automatically connecting the connector to the receptacle based on the determination; and

automatically recharging the vehicle through the connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with the vehicle to exchange information with the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the communicating is via an electromagnetic medium.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

authenticating the information received from the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

if the authenticating fails, sending a message to the vehicle that the vehicle can not be recharged.

6. A computer readable medium storing a set of instructions for automatically recharging a vehicle, the instructions, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

determine a location of the vehicle toward which to extend a recharging device by;

detecting the location of the vehicle based on a signal from the vehicle,

calculating the distance between the detected location and the recharging device, and

determining that the vehicle is within the predetermined distance if the calculated distance is less than or equal to the predetermined distance,

direct the recharging device to automatically connect to the vehicle at the determined location, and

direct the recharging device to automatically recharge the vehicle through the connection,

wherein the computer readable medium is selected from the group consisting of an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared storage, semiconductor system, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory, a read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory and a portable optical disc.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the processor transmits a signal to a display unit to display a status of the recharging device.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the processor receives data including a form of payment for the recharge of the vehicle.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein, when directing the recharging device to automatically connect, the processor

receives a signal from a connection sensor indicating the position on the vehicle to which to connect the recharging device, and

directs the recharging device to automatically connect to the indicated position on the vehicle based on the received signal.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein, when directing the recharging device to automatically connect, the processor

receives a second signal from the connection sensor indicating that an obstacle is present between the recharging device and the indicated position, and

directs the recharging device to retract to a predetermined position.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein, when directing the recharging device to automatically connect, the processor transmits a signal to the recharging device to extend toward the determined location of the vehicle.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein, when directing the recharging device to automatically recharge, the processor transmits a signal to the recharging device to send an electrical current through the connection to the vehicle.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the processor is further caused to direct the recharging device to automatically stop recharging the vehicle and to automatically disconnect from the vehicle when the recharge stops.