Automobile charging and communications station

• US 8,890,475 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gilbert Scott Becker
• Original Assignee: Gilbert Scott Becker
• Inventors: Becker, Gilbert Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/200,684
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 701/22, 180/65.29
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging 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 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• 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 apparatus for charging batteries of an electric or hybrid vehicle includes a station. The station is located at a parking lot of a business. The station is preferably connected to a telephone line, CAT 5 or other cable, Internet or Wi-Fi to accommodate communication. A computer is connected to a remote server to receive updated vehicle charging parameters. A pivoting docking boom on the station cooperatively engages with a vehicle-charging boom located on the vehicle. Electrical contact pins on the vehicle-charging boom mate with sockets on the docking boom. A centerline pin grounds the vehicle to the station. The electrical contact pins permit up to three-phase charging capability and transmission of desired data. The station monitors the charging of the batteries and reports any problems. The station performs vehicle and payment confirmation without the driver exiting the vehicle. An alternate embodiment includes the station at a residence or garage.

Claims

1. In an improvement to a charging station for charging a battery or batteries of an electric or hybrid vehicle, wherein the improvement comprises a docking boom that is attached to said charging station, and wherein said docking boom extends from said charging station and includes an electrical connector at a distal end thereof, and wherein said electrical connector of said docking boom includes a mechanical and electrical interface with a corresponding electrical connector that is attached to said electric or hybrid vehicle, and wherein said mechanical and electrical interface is able to occur by positioning said electric or hybrid vehicle a predetermined distance away from said charging station so that a center of said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle substantially aligns with a center of said electrical connector of said docking boom if said vehicle is driven forward, and then slowly driving said electric or hybrid vehicle forward until said mechanical and electrical interface is accomplished;

wherein said docking boom includes a plurality of electrical sockets that are able to mate with a corresponding plurality of electrical pins that are included with said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle, or wherein said docking boom includes a plurality of electrical pins that are able to mate with a corresponding plurality of electrical sockets that are included with said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle;

wherein said plurality of electric pins or electrical sockets in said docking boom includes a single-phase pin or a single-phase socket and a neutral pin or a neutral socket, and wherein said single-phase pin or said single-phase socket of said docking boom and said neutral pin or said neutral socket of said docking boom each mate with a corresponding socket in said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle or each mate with a corresponding pin in said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle; and

wherein a voltage across said single-phase pin and said neutral pin or across said single-phase socket and said neutral socket is equal to a desired AC or DC voltage, and wherein a current that is supplied to said single-phase pin or to said single phase socket is regulated by said charging station to correspond with any desired charging parameter of said battery or batteries.

2. The improvement of the charging station of claim 1 wherein said docking boom is pivotally attached to said charging station and wherein said distal end of said docking boom is able to be lowered to correspond with a position of said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle.

3. The improvement of the charging station of claim 2 wherein said docking boom includes a generally conical shaped female connector and wherein said female connector includes said plurality of electrical sockets that are able to mate with said corresponding plurality of electrical pins that are included with said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle, and wherein said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle is a male connector that includes a generally conical shape.

4. The improvement of the charging station of claim 3 wherein said sockets of said female connector or said pins of said male connector or both are able to each pivot about a socket sufficient to correct for a minor misalignment between said electrical connector of said docking boom and said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle.

5. The improvement of the charging station of claim 1 wherein said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle is attached to a vehicle-charging boom, and wherein said vehicle-charging boom is pivotally attached to said electric or hybrid vehicle.

6. The improvement of the charging station of claim 5 wherein said vehicle-charging boom includes a centerline pin that is a first pin to make electrical contact with one of said sockets of said electrical connector of said docking boom or wherein said vehicle-charging boom includes a centerline socket that is a first socket to make electrical contact with one of said pins of said electrical connector of said docking boom during charging and wherein said centerline pin is a last pin to lose electrical contact during disengagement of said electric or hybrid vehicle from said charging station or wherein said centerline socket is a last socket to lose electrical contact during disengagement of said electric or hybrid vehicle from said charging station.

7. The improvement of the charging station of claim 6 wherein said vehicle-charging boom includes a sleeve that includes a male conical shaped portion, and wherein said sleeve includes an opening in said male conical shaped portion for said centerline pin and for each of said plurality of pins, and wherein when said vehicle-charging boom is disposed in a quiescent state in which it is not mechanically or electrically connected to said docking boom said sleeve is disposed in a forward position that covers at least a portion of said centerline pin and which covers a remainder of said plurality of pins, and wherein when said vehicle-charging boom is mechanically and electrically connected to said docking boom said sleeve is not disposed in said quiescent state, and wherein said sleeve is urged away from said docking boom and into a rearward position in which said centerline pin and said remainder of said plurality of pins protrude through said openings and engage with said plurality of sockets in said electrical connector of said docking boom.

8. The improvement of the charging station of claim 7 wherein said sleeve includes a spring that supplies a biasing force sufficient to urge said sleeve into said forward position and into said quiescent state when said vehicle-charging boom is not mechanically or electrically connected to said docking boom.

9. The improvement of the charging station of claim 1 wherein said plurality of electric pins includes a two-phase pin and wherein said two-phase pin mates with a corresponding socket in said docking boom or wherein said two-phase pin mates with a corresponding socket in said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle, and wherein a voltage across said single-phase pin and said two-phase pin is equal to a desired AC or DC voltage and wherein a current that is supplied to said single-phase pin and said two-phase pin is regulated by said charging station to correspond with any desired charging parameter of said battery or batteries.

10. The improvement of the charging station of claim 1 wherein said plurality of electric pins includes a two-phase pin and a three-phase pin and wherein said two-phase pin and said three-phase pin each mate with a corresponding socket in said docking boom or wherein said two-phase pin and said three-phase pin each mate with a corresponding socket in said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle, and wherein a voltage across any of said single-phase pin and said two-phase pin and said three-phase pins is equal to a desired AC or DC voltage and wherein a current that is supplied to said single-phase pin or said two-phase pin or said three-phase pin is regulated by said charging station to correspond with any desired charging parameter of said battery or batteries.

11. The improvement of the charging station of claim 1 wherein certain of said plurality of pins and sockets are used to convey information between a computer of said charging station and said electric or hybrid vehicle.

12. The improvement of the charging station of claim 11 wherein said information includes a vehicle identification number of said electric or hybrid vehicle and, if available, a global positioning satellite coordinates of said electric or hybrid vehicle, a temperature of said battery or batteries of said electric or hybrid vehicle or any other information.

13. The improvement of the charging station of claim 12 wherein said other information includes debit or charge card information that is stored in said electric or hybrid vehicle or is entered in said electric or hybrid vehicle at a time of charging by an operator of said vehicle.

14. The improvement of the charging station of claim 12 wherein said other information includes diagnostic information about said electric or hybrid vehicle.

15. The improvement of the charging station of claim 12 wherein said other information includes a personal number that is entered on a keypad provided in said vehicle by an operator of said vehicle that is used to identify said operator of said electric or hybrid vehicle as an authorized driver, and wherein if said operator is unable to confirm that he or she is said authorized driver, said charging station will not provide an electrical charge to said batteries of said electric or hybrid vehicle.

16. The improvement of the charging station of claim 12 wherein said charging station uses said vehicle identification number to confirm whether or not said electric or hybrid vehicle is listed as being stolen, and wherein if said electric or hybrid vehicle is listed as being stolen said charging station communicates over the Internet or by other means a location of said electric or hybrid vehicle to a police department.

17. The improvement of the charging station of claim 11 wherein said information is transmitted between said vehicle and said charging station using a desired wireless protocol.

18. The improvement of the charging station of claim 17 wherein said charging station is able to place a call or send a text message to a cell phone of an operator of said electric or hybrid vehicle to inform said operator when said batteries of said vehicle are fully charged.

19. In an improvement to a charging station for charging a battery or batteries of an electric or hybrid vehicle, wherein the improvement comprises a docking boom that is attached to said charging station, and wherein said docking boom extends from said charging station and includes an electrical connector at a distal end thereof, and wherein said electrical connector of said docking boom includes a mechanical and electrical interface with a corresponding electrical connector that is attached to said electric or hybrid vehicle, and wherein said mechanical and electrical interface is able to occur by positioning said electric or hybrid vehicle a predetermined distance away from said charging station so that a center of said-corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle substantially aligns with a center of said electrical connector of said docking boom if said vehicle is driven forward, and then slowly driving said electric or hybrid vehicle forward until said mechanical and electrical interface is accomplished;

wherein said corresponding electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle is attached to a vehicle-charging boom, and wherein said vehicle-charging boom is pivotally attached to said electric or hybrid vehicle; and

wherein said vehicle-charging boom includes a sleeve, and wherein when said vehicle-charging boom is disposed in a quiescent state in which it is not mechanically or electrically connected to said docking boom said sleeve is disposed in a forward position that covers at least a portion of said electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle, and wherein when said vehicle-charging boom is mechanically and electrically connected to said docking boom said sleeve is not disposed in said quiescent state, and wherein said sleeve is urged away from said docking boom and into a rearward position in which said electrical connector of said electric or hybrid vehicle engages with said electrical connector of said docking boom.