Charging system for hybrid and electric vehicles including an authentication management device arranged in the household

• US 8,525,473 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Tomomi, Mizuno, Yoshiyuki, Tanaka, Kenji, Araki, Mikihisa, Iwashita, Hiroaki, Yamamoto, Keiji, Yurimoto, Masayuki, Shionoya, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, MANUEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/090,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20090278492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,246 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/109, 320/111, 320/DIG.12
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charging system that significantly increases the anti-theft capability of a charging subject. The charging subject includes a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery of the charging subject is connected to a power supply of a house by power lines. An authentication management device performs authentication of the charging subject by communicating with the charging subject through the power lines and permits charging of the rechargeable battery with the power supply of the house only when the authentication is established.

Claims

1. A charging system for use with a household power supply in a household, with the household including an outdoor outlet arranged therein the charging system including:

an electrically-driven vehicle including a rechargeable battery;

a power line connectable via the outdoor outlet of the household between the rechargeable battery of the vehicle and the household power supply; and

an authentication management device, arranged in the household and connectable to the power supply, for performing authentication of the vehicle through at least part of the power line, with the vehicle being placed outside the household;

wherein the vehicle includes;

a switch, connected to the rechargeable battery, for permitting and prohibiting flow of current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery; and

a charging control unit for performing the authentication in cooperation with the authentication management device and controlling the switch based on the authentication,

wherein when the power line is connected to the outdoor outlet and a charging connector of the vehicle, charging of the rechargeable battery starts before the authentication is started,

wherein after the charging of the rechargeable battery is started;

the charging control unit deactivates the switch to prohibit charging of the rechargeable battery when the authentication is not established with the authentication management device and the charging control unit;

the charging control unit keeps the switch activated to continue charging the rechargeable battery when the authentication is established with the authentication management device and the charging control unit.

2. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication management device performs the authentication through power line communication with the vehicle using the whole power line as a data communication path.

3. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication management device performs the authentication through communication that uses a code with the vehicle.

4. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the power line is directly connected to the rechargeable battery and the power supply.

5. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein:

the power line includes a first power line connectable to the rechargeable battery, and a second power line arranged in the household, extended from an indoor outlet connected to the power supply, and connectable to the first power line; and

the authentication management device is connectable to the indoor outlet and performs the authentication with the vehicle using the first power line and the second power line.

6. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein:

the power line includes a first power line connectable to the rechargeable battery, and a branched power line connectable between the first power line and the authentication management device; and

the authentication management device is arranged in the household, enables the branched power line to be connected to an indoor outlet connected to the power supply via the authentication management device, and performs the authentication with the vehicle using the first power line and the branched power line.

7. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication management device has a unique identifier and is configured as a single ID box capable of performing the authentication with the vehicle using the identifier.

8. The charging system according to claim 7, wherein the ID box is a vehicle key.

9. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication management device includes:

a communication terminal having a unique identifier; and

a device body, from which the communication terminal is removable, for receiving the identifier from the communication terminal and enabling the authentication with the vehicle to be performed using the identifier.

10. A charging system for use with a household power supply in a household, with the household including an outdoor outlet arranged therein, the charging system including:

an electrically-driven vehicle including a rechargeable battery;

a power line connectable via the outdoor outlet of the household between the rechargeable battery of the vehicle and the household power supply; and

an authentication management device, arranged in the household and connectable to the power supply, for performing authentication of the vehicle through an electrical wiring arranged independent from the power line, with the vehicle being placed outside the household;

wherein the vehicle includes;

a switch, connected to the rechargeable battery, for permitting and prohibiting flow of current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery; and

a charging control unit for performing the authentication in cooperation with the authentication management device and controlling the switch based on the authentication,

wherein when the power line is connected to the outdoor outlet and a charging connector of the vehicle, charging of the rechargeable battery starts before the authentication is started,

wherein after the charging of the rechargeable battery is started;

the charging control unit deactivates the switch to prohibit charging of the rechargeable battery with the power supply when the authentication is not established with the authentication management device and the charging control unit;

the charging control unit keeps the switch activated to continue charging the rechargeable battery when the authentication is established with the authentication management device and the charging control unit.

11. The charging system according to claim 10 wherein the authentication management device performs the authentication through communication that uses a code with the vehicle.

12. The charging system according to claim 10 wherein the power line is directly connected to the rechargeable battery and the power supply.

13. The charging system according to claim 10, wherein:

the power line includes a first power line connectable to the rechargeable battery, and a second power line arranged in the household, extended from an indoor outlet connected to the power supply, and connectable to the first power line; and

the authentication management device is connectable to the indoor outlet and performs the authentication with the vehicle using the first power line and the second power line.

14. The charging system according to claim 10, wherein:

the power line includes a first power line connectable to the rechargeable battery, and a branched power line connectable between the first power line and the authentication management device; and

the authentication management device is arranged in the household, enables the branched power line to be connected to an indoor outlet connected to the power supply via the authentication management device, and performs the authentication with the vehicle using the first power line and the branched power line.

15. The charging system according to claim 10, wherein the authentication management device has a unique identifier and is configured as a single ID box capable of performing the authentication with the vehicle using the identifier.

16. The charging system according to claim 10, wherein the authentication management device includes:

a communication terminal having a unique identifier; and

a device body, from which the communication terminal is removable, for receiving the identifier from the communication terminal and enabling the authentication with the vehicle to be performed using the identifier.

17. A charging system for use with a household power supply in a household, with the household including an outdoor outlet arranged therein, the charging system including:

an electrically-driven vehicle including a rechargeable battery;

a primary coil connected to the power supply via the outdoor outlet of the household;

a secondary coil connected to the rechargeable battery, wherein the rechargeable battery is magnetically connected to the power supply by the primary coil and the secondary coil; and

an authentication management device, arranged in the household and connectable to the power supply, for performing authentication of the vehicle through the primary coil and the secondary coil, with the vehicle being placed outside the household;

wherein the vehicle includes;

a switch, connected to the rechargeable battery, for permitting and prohibiting flow of current from the power supply to the rechargeable battery; and

a charging control unit for performing the authentication in cooperation with the authentication management device and controlling the switch based on the authentication,

wherein when the rechargeable battery is connected to the power supply through the primary coil and the secondary coil, charging of the rechargeable battery starts before the authentication is started,

wherein after the charging of the rechargeable battery is started;

the charging control unit deactivates the switch to prohibit charging of the rechargeable battery when the authentication is not established with the authentication management device and the charging control unit;

the charging control unit keeps the switch activated to continue charging the rechargeable battery when the authentication is established with the authentication management device and the charging control unit.