Methods, systems, and products for charging batteries

• US 9,315,109 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marathe, Nikhil S., Baldwin, Christopher F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parihar, Suchin
• Application Number:
  US14/070,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20150123619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 899 Days
• Field of Search: 320/137
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/24 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/461 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 : having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 : Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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

Methods, systems, and products charge a battery in a vehicle. A charging station and the vehicle negotiate charging parameters. When the vehicle receives electrical power from the charging station, the vehicle checks the electrical power for the parameters. Should the electrical power fail to exhibit the parameters, charging is terminated.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

retrieving, by a controller operating in a vehicle, an electronic build sheet describing option codes associated with the vehicle;

establishing, by the controller, an initial communication with a charging station;

establishing, by the controller during the initial communication, parameters for superimposing a signal onto electrical power delivered by the charging station, the parameters based on the option codes described by the electronic build sheet;

terminating, by the controller, the initial communication with the charging station;

receiving, by the controller, the signal superimposed onto the electrical power delivered from the charging station;

authenticating, by the controller, superimposition of the signal onto the electrical power according to the parameters based on the option codes described by the electronic build sheet; and

charging, by the controller, a battery in the vehicle in response to a successful authentication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating an expected frequency of the signal using the option codes in the electronic build sheet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving radio frequency identifiers from a tire pressure monitoring system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving financial information associated with the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a credit card number associated with the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising conducting an electronic financial transaction as payment for the charging the battery.

7. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

establishing communication between a vehicle and a charging station;

determining a radio frequency identifier broadcast by a component operating in the vehicle;

determining a frequency based on the radio frequency identifier broadcast by the component operating in the vehicle;

receiving electrical power from an electrical grid;

superimposing a signal onto the electrical power to form transformed electrical power, the signal having the frequency based on the radio frequency identifier; and

sending the transformed electrical power from the charging station to charge a battery in the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a manufacturer'"'"'s build sheet associated with the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise authenticating a superimposition of the signal using option codes described by the manufacturer'"'"'s build sheet.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving financial information associated with the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a credit card number associated with the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise conducting an electronic financial transaction as payment for charging the battery.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise terminating charging in response to a failed authentication.

14. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

establishing communication between a vehicle and a charging station;

retrieving a radio frequency identifier broadcast by a component operating in the vehicle;

determining a frequency based on the radio frequency identifier broadcast by the component operating in the vehicle;

receiving electrical power from an electrical grid;

superimposing a signal onto the electrical power at the frequency based on the radio frequency identifier to form transformed electrical power; and

sending the transformed electrical power from the charging station to charge a battery in the vehicle.

15. The memory device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the radio frequency identifier from a tire pressure monitoring system.

16. The memory device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a manufacturer'"'"'s build sheet associated with the vehicle.

17. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise authenticating the frequency using option codes described by the manufacturer'"'"'s build sheet.

18. The memory device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving financial information associated with the vehicle.

19. The memory device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise conducting an electronic financial transaction as payment for charging the battery.