Providing battery charge state information of electric vehicle

• US 9,895,992 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Seo, Dong-Seob, Kim, Jung-Guen, Seo, Myung-Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/945,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20160068076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/14 to electric lighting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1018 Alarm systems characterised by features related to the general power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• 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

The disclosure is related to providing information on a battery charge state of a parked electric vehicle through at least one of one or more light lamps and one or more speakers of the parked electric vehicle. Particularly, the disclosure may control at least one of a lamp light color, a lamp blink pattern, and a sound pattern according to the battery charge state information such that a user can recognize the battery charge state away from the electric vehicle through hearing and/or vision.

Claims

1. A method of providing battery charge state information of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

retrieving latest information among remaining battery power amount information at a predetermined period, when an external control signal for the electric vehicle is received;

determining a battery charge state of the electric vehicle, based on the retrieved latest remaining battery power amount information;

determining whether a warning condition is satisfied, based on the remaining battery power amount information; and

providing the battery charge state information by controlling at least one output device of the electric vehicle when the warning condition is satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the remaining battery power amount information includes:

performing a power connection between a battery power measurement processor and an auxiliary battery;

sending a battery power measurement request to the battery power measurement processor;

receiving a measurement result of the remaining battery power amount from the battery power measurement processor; and

disconnecting the power connection when the measurement result is received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes:

determining a battery charge state level based on the retrieved latest remaining battery power amount information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one output device includes at least one of (i) one or more light lamps, and (ii) one or more speakers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the providing the battery charge state information includes:

providing the battery charge state information by controlling at least one of a lamp light color, a lamp blink pattern, and a sound pattern according to the determined battery charge state level.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting information on the battery charge state level to a corresponding remote control device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is in a power-off state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the external control signal is at least one of a door control signal, a battery check signal, a trunk control signal, a start control signal, and a vehicle location check signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the external control signal is generated by a remote control device, wherein the remote control device is one of (i) a wireless key device and (ii) user equipment having a remote control function for the electric vehicle.

10. A method of providing battery charge state information of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining information on a remaining battery power amount of the electric vehicle;

determining whether a warning condition is satisfied, based on the information on the remaining battery power amount; and

providing warning information by controlling at least one output device of the electric vehicle when the warning condition is satisfied,

wherein the warning condition includes at least one of (i) whether the remaining battery power amount is less than a first threshold value, and (ii) whether a decreasing rate of the remaining battery power amount exceeds a second threshold value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing the warning information includes:

monitoring whether a remote control device is within a predetermined distance from the electric vehicle, when the warning condition is satisfied; and

providing the warning information by controlling the at least one output device of the electric vehicle when the remote control device is within the predetermined distance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the remote control device is one of (i) a wireless key device, and (ii) user equipment having a remote control function for the electric vehicle;

the at least one output device includes at least one of (i) one or more light lamps, and (ii) one or more speakers; and

the providing the warning information includes providing the battery charge state information by controlling at least one of a lamp light color, a lamp blink pattern, and a sound pattern.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting a warning notification to a corresponding remote control device when the warning condition is satisfied.

14. A method of providing battery charge state information of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining information on a remaining battery power amount of the electric vehicle;

determining whether a battery charge state notification condition is satisfied, based on the information on the remaining battery power amount;

monitoring whether a remote control device is within a predetermined distance from the electric vehicle, when the battery charge state notification condition is satisfied; and

providing the battery charge state information by controlling at least one output device of the electric vehicle, when the remote control device is within the predetermined distance.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the battery charge state notification condition includes at least one of (i) whether the remaining battery power amount is less than a first threshold value, and (ii) whether a decreasing rate of the remaining battery power amount exceeds a second threshold value.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the at least one output device includes at least one of (i) one or more light lamps and (ii) one or more speakers; and

the providing the battery charge state information includes providing the battery charge state information by controlling at least one of a lamp light color, a lamp blink pattern, and a sound pattern.

17. An apparatus for providing battery charge state information of an electric vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a battery power measurement processor configured to measure a remaining battery power amount of the electric vehicle; and

a battery charge information providing processor configured to;

(i) determine whether a battery charge state notification condition is satisfied, based on the remaining battery power amount,

(ii) monitor whether a remote control device is within a predetermined distance from the electric vehicle, when the battery charge state notification condition is satisfied, and

(iii) provide the battery charge state information by controlling at least one output device of the electric vehicle when the remote control device is within the predetermined distance.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the battery charge state notification condition includes at least one of (i) whether the remaining battery power amount is less than a first threshold value, and (ii) whether a decreasing rate of the remaining battery power amount exceeds a second threshold value.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the remote control device is one of (i) a wireless key device, and (ii) user equipment having a remote control function for the electric vehicle;

the at least one output device includes at least one of (i) one or more light lamps, and (ii) one or more speakers; and

the battery charge information providing processor is configured to provide the battery charge state information by controlling at least one of a lamp light color, a lamp blink pattern, and a sound pattern.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the battery charge information providing processor is configured to:

transmit the battery charge state information to a corresponding remote control device when the battery charge state notification condition is satisfied.