Providing battery charge state information of electric vehicle

• US 9,216,659 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Seo, Myung-Woo, Seo, Dong-Seob, Kim, Jung-Guen
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/162,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/14 to electric lighting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1018 Alarm systems characterised by features related to the general power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

The disclosure is related to providing information on a battery charge state of a parked electric vehicle through at least one of one or more light lamps and one or more speakers of the parked electric vehicle. Particularly, the disclosure may control at least one of a lamp light color, a lamp blink pattern, and a sound pattern according to the battery charge state information such that a user can recognize the battery charge state away from the electric vehicle through hearing and/or vision.

Claims

1. A method of providing battery charge state information of a parked electric vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving an external control signal for the electric vehicle;

determining a battery charge state of the electric vehicle when the external control signal for the electric vehicle is received; and

providing the battery charge state information by controlling at least one of (i) one or more light lamps and (ii) one or more speakers of the electric vehicle according to the determined battery charge state,

wherein the providing the battery charge state information includes;

providing the battery charge state information by controlling at least one of a lamp light color, a lamp blink pattern, and a sound pattern according to the determined battery charge state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes:

obtaining information on a remaining battery power amount of the electric vehicle; and

determining a battery charge state level based on the remaining battery power amount.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the obtaining is performed at least one of:

upon receipt of the external control signal; and

at a predetermined regular interval.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting information on the battery charge state level to a corresponding remote control device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more light lamps are installed on at least one of an interior and exterior of the electric vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more speakers include at least one of a horn speaker and an anti-theft alarm speaker.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is in a power-off state.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether a warning condition is satisfied, wherein the warning condition includes at least one of (i) whether the remaining battery power amount is less than a first threshold value, and (ii) whether a decreasing rate of the remaining battery power amount exceeds a second threshold value; and

providing warning information by controlling at least one of the lamp light color, the lamp blink pattern, and the sound pattern when the warning condition is satisfied.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing the warning information includes:

monitoring whether a remote control device is within a predetermined distance from the electric vehicle, when the warning condition is satisfied; and

providing the warning information by controlling the at least one of the lamp light color, the lamp blink pattern, and the sound pattern when the remote control device is within the predetermined distance.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting a warning notification to a corresponding remote control device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the external control signal is at least one of a door control signal, a battery check signal, a trunk control signal, a start control signal, and a vehicle location check signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the external control signal is generated by a remote control device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the remote control device is one of:

a wireless key device; and

user equipment having a remote control function for the electric vehicle.

14. An apparatus for providing battery charge state information of a parked electric vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a battery power measurement processor configured to measure a remaining battery power amount of the electric vehicle; and

a battery charge information providing processor configured;

(i) to determine at least one of a battery charge state level and a satisfaction of a warning condition, based on the remaining battery power amount, and

(ii) to provide the battery charge state information by controlling at least one of one or more light lamps and one or more speakers of the electric vehicle according to a determination result,

wherein the battery charge information providing processor is configured to provide the battery charge state information by controlling at least one of a lamp light color, a lamp blink pattern, and a sound pattern according to the determination result.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the warning condition includes at least one of:

whether the remaining battery power amount is less than a first threshold value; and

whether a decreasing rate of the remaining battery power amount exceeds a second threshold value.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein, in a case that the electric vehicle being in a power-off state includes a main battery and an auxiliary battery,

the battery charge information providing processor is configured to:

perform a power connection between the battery power measurement processor and the auxiliary battery;

request the battery power measurement processor to measure the remaining battery power amount of the main battery;

receive information on the remaining battery power amount from the battery power measurement processor; and

disconnect the power connection when the remaining battery power amount information is received.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the battery charge information providing processor is configured to request the battery power measurement processor to measure the remaining battery power amount at least one of (i) upon receipt of an external control signal from a corresponding remote control device, and (ii) at a predetermined regular interval; and

in a case that the remaining battery power amount is periodically measured, the battery charge information providing processor is configured to determine the at least one of the battery charge state level and the satisfaction of the warning condition and to provide the battery charge state information, when an external control signal is received from the corresponding remote control device.

18. A wireless key device for providing battery charge state information of a parked electric vehicle, the wireless key device comprising:

an output unit including at least one of one or more light lamps and one or more speakers;

a communication processor configured to transmit an external control signal to the electric vehicle, and to receive at least one of battery charge state level information and warning information associated with a battery of the electric vehicle from a battery charge state providing apparatus; and

a control processor configured to control at least one of (i) a lamp light color, (ii) a lamp blink pattern, and (iii) a sound pattern associated with the output unit, according to the at least one of the battery charge state level information and the warning information.