Electric vehicle AC power adapter

• US 9,969,277 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Williams, Wendell David, Burlak, Gary J
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dominique, Emmanuel R
• Application Number:
  US14/135,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20150175023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 307 91
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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: Y04S 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

An AC power adapter for a plug-in electric vehicle has a connector for reception in a charging port of the plug-in electric vehicle, at least one AC outlet coupled to the connector and command generation circuitry coupled to the connector for generating a command that causes the plug-in electric vehicle to put itself into a power feedback mode wherein AC power generated by the plug-in electric vehicle and provided to its charging port is coupled through the connector to the AC outlet.

Claims

1. An AC power adapter for a plug-in electric vehicle, comprising:

a connector for reception in a charging port of the plug-in electric vehicle;

at least one AC outlet coupled to the connector; and

command generation circuitry coupled to the connector for generating a command that commands the plug-in electric vehicle to put itself into a power feedback mode wherein AC power generated by the plug-in electric vehicle and provided to its charging port is coupled through the connector to the AC outlet, the command generation circuitry including an AC power adapter pilot signal generator that generates a pilot signal with signaling protocol for the command.

2. The AC power adapter of claim 1 wherein the AC adapter includes an AC power adapter proximity circuit.

3. The AC power adapter of claim 2 wherein the command generation circuitry also includes the AC power adapter proximity circuit.

4. The AC power adapter of claim 2 including a circuit protection device coupled between the AC outlet and the connector.

5. The AC power adapter of claim 4 wherein the connector houses the AC power adapter pilot signal generator and the AC power adapter proximity circuit.

6. The AC power adapter of claim 5 including a power strip having the at least one AC outlet, the power strip coupled to the housing by a power cord.

7. The AC power adapter of claim 6 wherein the power strip includes a plurality of the AC outlets.