Controlling a locking device of an electric charging port

• US 9,592,736 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Broecker, Marco, Dornburg, Lutz, Konnopka, Robert, Kroj, Linda
• Primary Examiner(s): Kik, Phallaka
• Application Number:
  US14/713,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20150329002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• 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

A method for controlling a locking device of an electric charging port of a vehicle. The vehicle has a keyless entry system, which makes it possible for the vehicle to be unlocked without the active operation of a vehicle key. Presence information of the vehicle key in the vicinity of the vehicle is detected and further a state of charge is detected that indicates whether a charging process is currently taking place via the charging port. The locking device is activated depending on the presence information and the state of charge.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a locking device of an electric charging port of a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an entry system to unlock the vehicle without an active operation of a vehicle key, the method comprising:

detecting presence information of the vehicle key in a vicinity of the vehicle;

detecting a state of charge that indicates whether a charging process is currently taking place via the charging port; and

activating the locking device depending on the presence information and state of charge.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the state of charge indicates that no charging process is currently taking place via the charging port when:

a traction battery of the vehicle that is chargeable via the charging port is fully charged; and

/or

charging of the traction battery was stopped in error; and

/or

charging of the traction battery was stopped by an input from a user of the vehicle; and

/or

charging of the traction battery is to start at a later time via time control; and

/or

the traction battery has a predetermined state of charge beyond which the traction battery should not be charged currently.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting of the presence information of the vehicle key comprises:

determining whether a wireless connection is establishable between the vehicle key and a transmitting/receiving device of the vehicle;

determining position information of the vehicle key in relation to the charging port; and

/or

determining movement information of the vehicle key in relation to the charging port.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the locking device is activated to unlock the charging port when it is determined that a wireless connection is established between the vehicle key and the transmitting/receiving device of the vehicle and no charging process is currently taking place.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the locking device is activated to unlock the charging port when no charging process is currently taking place and the movement information indicates movement of the vehicle key in a direction toward the charging port, and/or the position information indicates a position of the vehicle key within a specific distance to the charging port.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the locking device is activated to lock the charging port, when the locking device was previously activated to unlock the charging port depending on the presence information and the state of charge, and a charge plug is plugged into the charging port and is determined that no wireless connection is establishable between the vehicle key and a transmitting/receiving device of the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the locking device is activated to lock the charging port, when the locking device was previously activated to unlock the charging port depending on the presence information and the state of charge, and a charge plug is plugged into the charging port, and the movement information indicates movement of the vehicle key in the direction away from the charging port and/or the position information indicates a position of the vehicle key outside a specific distance to the charging port.

8. A control device for controlling a locking device of an electric charging port of a vehicle, the vehicle comprises an entry system to unlock the vehicle without active operation of a vehicle key, the control device comprising:

a detector detecting presence information of the vehicle key in a vicinity of the vehicle and detecting a state of charge that indicates whether a charging process is currently taking place via the charging port; and

a processor activating the locking device depending on the presence information and state of charge.

9. A method for controlling a locking device of an electric charging port of a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an entry system to unlock the vehicle without active operation of a vehicle key, the method comprising:

detecting presence information of the vehicle key in a vicinity of the vehicle;

detecting a plugging process at the charging port, the plugging process indicating that a charge plug is coupled to the charging port; and

locking the charging port via the locking device depending on the presence information and the plugging process.

10. A control device for controlling a locking device of an electric charging port of a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an entry system to unlock the vehicle without active operation of a vehicle key, the control device comprising:

a detector detecting presence information of the vehicle key in a vicinity of the vehicle and detecting a plugging process that indicates that a charge plug is coupled to the charging port; and

a processor designed to lock the locking device depending on the presence information and the plugging process.