Vehicle communications, power management, and seating systems

• US 9,868,359 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KLD Energy Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: KLD Energy Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Huston, Charles D., Hunt, Martyn T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek, Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US14/211,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/00 Driver interactions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/40 related to technical updates when adding new parts or software
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3015 the axis being located at the top of the back-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3047 the cushion being hinged at the back-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/803 fixed
• 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 system for facilitating communication between a vehicle and a user includes a vehicle having a rechargeable battery and a communication and control subsystem. The communication and control subsystem is communicatively coupled to the battery to gather and transmit vehicle information, which may include battery information and a vehicle identifier. The system also includes a charging station having a charging station identifier and an electrical coupling between the charging station, a power source, and the vehicle. The electrical coupling is operable to charge the battery and includes a communicative coupling. The control subsystem is operable to receive communications from the user via the communicative coupling.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating communication between a vehicle and a user, the system comprising:

a vehicle having a rechargeable battery and a communication and control subsystem communicatively coupled to the battery to gather and transmit vehicle information, wherein the vehicle information comprises battery information and a vehicle identifier;

a charging station, wherein the charging station comprises a charging station identifier;

an electrical coupling between the charging station, a power source, and the vehicle, the electrical coupling being operable to charge the battery; and

a computer device for utilizing the vehicle identifier and the station identifier to identify and locate a particular vehicle;

wherein the electrical coupling between the power source and the rechargeable battery comprises a communicative coupling; and

wherein the control subsystem is operable to receive communications from the user and transmit a command to the vehicle for control of the vehicle via the communicative coupling.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control subsystem is operable to transmit communications to the user via the communicative coupling.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station is connected to one of the Internet and a wireless communications network, and wherein the vehicle identifier comprises a MAC address.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control subsystem is operable to receive a command from a computing device of the user.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the command comprises an instruction to transmit vehicle data to a recipient.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the vehicle data comprises data that indicates the amount of energy stored by the rechargeable battery.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical coupling comprises a communication schema selected from the group comprising power line communication, power line carrier (PLC), Power line Digital Subscriber Line (PDSL), mains communication, power line telecom (PLT), power line net-working (PLN), and Broadband over Power Lines (BPL).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging station identifier comprises location information.