System and method for contacting vehicle via electric vehicle supply equipment

• US 9,834,108 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yuan, Alvin T
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US15/149,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20170320399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A method and system of notifications for an electric vehicle are provided. A method of notification includes receiving, from an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), a charge for a first vehicle. The method may further include scanning, by the first vehicle, an identifier of a second vehicle parked in tandem with the first vehicle. The method may also include sending, via the EVSE, by the first vehicle, a notification request including the identifier of the second vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of notification comprising:

receiving, from an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), a charge for a first vehicle;

scanning, by the first vehicle, an identifier of a second vehicle parked in tandem with the first vehicle; and

sending, via the EVSE, by the first vehicle, a notification request including the identifier of the second vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending via the EVSE comprises drawing power from the EVSE according to one or more predefined communication waveforms.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more predefined communication waveforms are modulated based on the identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second vehicle performs a driverless maneuver allowing the first vehicle to exit the tandem position in response to the request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the first vehicle has reached a defined charge level, wherein the scanning is in response to the first vehicle reaching the defined charge level.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication that a driver of the first vehicle wants to move the first vehicle, wherein the scanning is in response to receiving the indication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning comprises:

taking a photograph of the second vehicle using a camera associated with the first vehicle; and

analyzing the photograph to determine the identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising illuminating the second vehicle with an external light of the first vehicle concurrently with taking the photograph.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifier is a license plate number or a quick response (QR) code.

10. A method of providing a notification, a comprising:

detecting, at an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), a first vehicle connected to a charging plug;

providing an electric charge to the first vehicle via the charging plug according to a charging waveform;

detecting that the first vehicle is drawing power according to a communication waveform that is different than the charging waveform;

decoding information from the communication waveform; and

communicating a notification based on the decoded information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the decoded information is a vehicle identifier of a second vehicle, wherein the notification is a request to move the second vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second vehicle is parked in tandem with the first vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein communicating the notification comprises:

determining a mobile device associated with the second vehicle based on the vehicle identifier; and

sending the notification to the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein communicating the notification request comprises contacting a valet service to move the second vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting, at the EVSE, the second vehicle connected to the charging plug; and

providing an electric charge to the second vehicle via the charging plug according to the charging waveform.

16. An electric vehicle comprising:

a vehicle charger that receives, from an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), a charge for the electric vehicle; and

a camera that scans an identifier from a second vehicle parked in tandem with the electric vehicle,

wherein the vehicle charger sends, via the EVSE, a notification request including the identifier for the second vehicle.

17. The electric vehicle of claim 16, wherein the vehicle charger draws power from the EVSE according to one or more predefined communication waveforms.

18. The electric vehicle of claim 17, wherein the vehicle charger modulates the one or more predefined communication waveforms based on the identifier.

19. The electric vehicle of claim 16, wherein the vehicle charger determines that the electric vehicle has reached a defined charge level, and wherein the camera scans in response to reaching the defined charge level.

20. The electric vehicle of claim 16, further comprising:

an external light; and

an electronic control unit that turns the external light on while the camera scans the identifier from the second vehicle.