Electric vehicle charging port lock

• US 9,387,771 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rahul Shekher
• Original Assignee: Rahul Shekher
• Inventors: Shekher, Rahul
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarroli, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/272,380
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A system and method for locking a charging connector inserted into a charging port is disclosed. The insertion of the charging connector into the charging port is identified. The charging port or charging connector may be placed into a locked state such that the charging connector cannot be disconnected from the charging port. The charging port or charging connector may be placed into an unlocked state in response to a battery charge level or an owner signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a connection between a charging connector and a charging port of an electric vehicle;

detecting an owner signal that is associated with unlocking or opening a door of the electric vehicle;

determining a loss of the owner signal that is associated with unlocking or opening the door so that the owner signal is no longer detected;

locking the charging port with the charging connector in response to the identification of the connection between the charging connector and the charging port of the electric vehicle and the determination of the loss of the owner signal that is associated with unlocking or opening the door of the electric vehicle;

monitoring a charge level of a battery of the electric vehicle; and

unlocking, by a processing device, the charging port based on the charge level of the battery satisfying a threshold value.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the threshold value corresponds to the charge level of the battery being full.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the charge level of the battery satisfies the threshold value when the charge level meets or exceeds the threshold value.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the locking of the charging port with the charging connector prevents a removal of the charging port from the charging connector.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a return of the owner signal after the identification of the loss of the owner signal, wherein the unlocking of the charging port is further based on the detection of the owner signal after the identification of the loss of the owner signal.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the charging connector is associated with the electric vehicle and the battery is associated with the electric vehicle, and wherein the battery is charged based on the connection between the charging port and the charging connector.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying one or more instructions, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processing devices, causes the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:

identifying a connection between a charging connector and a charging port of an electric vehicle;

detecting an owner signal that is associated with starting an engine of the electric vehicle;

determining a loss of the owner signal that is associated with starting the engine so that the owner signal is no longer detected;

locking the charging port in response to the identification of the connection between the charging connector and the charging port of the electric vehicle and the determination of the loss of the owner signal that is associated with starting the engine of the electric vehicle;

monitoring a charge level of a battery of the electric vehicle; and

unlocking the charging port based on the charge level of the battery satisfying a threshold value.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 7, wherein the threshold value corresponds to the charge level of the battery being full.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 7, wherein the charge level of the battery satisfies the threshold value when the charge level meets or exceeds the threshold value.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 7, wherein the locking of the charging port with the charging connector prevents a removal of the charging port from the charging connector.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 7, the operations further comprising:

detecting a return of the owner signal after the identification of the loss of the owner signal, wherein the unlocking of the charging port is further based on the detection of the owner signal after the identification of the loss of the owner signal.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 7, wherein the charging connector is associated with the electric vehicle and the battery is associated with the electric vehicle, and wherein the battery is charged based on the connection between the charging port and the charging connector.

13. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device operatively coupled to the memory and to;

identify a connection between a charging connector and a charging port of an electric vehicle;

detect an owner signal that is associated with unlocking or opening a door of the electric vehicle;

determine a loss of the owner signal that is associated with unlocking or opening the door so that the owner signal is no longer detected;

lock the charging port in response to the identification of the connection between the charging connector and the charging port of the electric vehicle and the determination of the loss of the owner signal that is associated with unlocking or opening a door of the electric vehicle;

monitor a charge level of a battery of the electric vehicle; and

unlock the charging port based on the charge level of the battery satisfying a threshold value.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the threshold value corresponds to the charge level of the battery being full.

15. The system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the charge level of the battery satisfies the threshold value when the charge level meets or exceeds the threshold value.

16. The system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the locking of the charging port with the charging connector prevents a removal of the charging port from the charging connector.

17. The system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the processing device is further to:

detect a return of the owner signal after the identification of the loss of the owner signal, wherein the unlocking of the charging port is further based on the detection of the owner signal after the identification of the loss of the owner signal.