Charger and method of controlling charger

• US 9,376,030 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakahara, Tatsuo, Hasegawa, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omar, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US14/349,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20140232327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• 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 53/665 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: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• 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 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charger configured to charge a battery, is provided with a controller configured to control charging of the battery and a communication interface interposed between the controller and an accounting system. The controller waits for an input of a signal from the accounting system via the communication interface. The controller starts to control the charging of the battery under the condition that a signal is inputted from the accounting system via the communication interface.

Claims

1. A charging system comprising:

an external apparatus including;

an operation device configured to be manipulated for battery charging; and

a processor configured to process billing authentication based on the manipulation of the operation device; and

a charger including;

a power converter configured to convert power into power at a predetermined voltage;

a feeder configured to supply the converted power to a battery;

a charging starter configured to be manipulated to instruct start of charging;

a controller configured to control charging of the battery; and

an interface interposed between the controller and the external apparatus, wherein

the controller waits for a signal to be inputted from the external apparatus via the interface,

based on a first signal inputted from the external apparatus via the interface, the controller selects any one of a first mode in which the charger follows the first signal from the external apparatus and a second mode in which the charger operates on a stand-alone basis, and

the controller starts to control the charging of the battery in the first mode under the condition that a second signal is inputted from the external apparatus via the interface and that the charging starter is manipulated.

2. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the first signal is a cyclic signal.

3. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects the first mode when the first signal is inputted from the external apparatus via the interface within a predetermined length of time after a power is turned on, and selects the second mode when the first signal is not inputted from the external apparatus via the interface within the predetermined length of time.

4. The charging system according to claim 3, wherein:

when the first mode is selected, the controller switches to a first state in which the controller waits for the second signal, and

when the second signal is inputted from the external apparatus via the interface after the controller switches to the first state, the controller switches to a second state in which the controller is capable of starting the charging of the battery.

5. The charging system according to claim 3, wherein, when the second mode is selected, the controller switches to a third state in which the controller is capable of starting the charging of the battery.

6. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the controller switches from the second mode to the first mode if the first signal is inputted from the external apparatus via the interface while the second mode is selected.

7. The charging system according to claim 5, wherein the controller switches from the second mode to the first mode after completing the charging of the battery if the first signal is inputted via the interface while the second mode is selected.

8. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the controller switches from the first mode to the second mode if the first signal inputted from the external apparatus via the interface is discontinued while the first mode is selected.

9. A method of controlling a charging system that comprises:

an external apparatus including;

an operation device configured to be manipulated for battery charging; and

a processor configured to process billing authentication based on the manipulation of the operation device; and

a charger including;

a power converter configured to convert power into power at a predetermined voltage;

a feeder configured to supply the converted power to a battery;

a charging starter configured to be manipulated to instruct start of charging;

a controller configured to control charging of the battery; and

an interface interposed between the controller and the external apparatus,

the method comprising;

waiting for a signal from the external apparatus to be inputted via the interface;

selecting, based on a first signal inputted from the external apparatus via the interface, any one of a first mode in which the charger follows the first signal from the external apparatus and a second mode in which the charger operates on a stand-alone basis; and

starting to control charging of the battery in the first mode under a condition that a second signal is inputted into the controller from the external apparatus via the interface and that the charging starter is manipulated.

10. A charging system comprising:

an external apparatus including;

operating means configured to be manipulated for battery charging; and

processing means configured to process billing authentication based on the manipulation of the operation means; and

a charger including;

power converting means configured to convert power into power at a predetermined voltage;

feeding means configured to supply the converted power to a battery;

charging starting means configured to be manipulated to instruct start of charging;

controlling means configured to control charging of the battery; and

an interface interposed between the controlling means and the external apparatus, wherein

the controlling means is further configured to;

wait for a signal to be inputted from the external apparatus via the interface;

based on a first signal inputted from the external apparatus via the interface, select any one of a first mode in which the charging means follows the first signal from the external apparatus and a second mode in which the charging means operate on a stand-alone basis; and

start to control the charging of the battery in the first mode under the condition that a second signal is inputted from the external apparatus via the interface and that the charging starting means are manipulated.