Vehicle charge system

• US 9,975,446 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Weber, David Charles, Ali, Imtiaz, Hakeem, Mohannad, Uhrich, Michael James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun
• Application Number:
  US15/053,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20170246962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 320107
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• 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 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A vehicle charge station includes at least a first interface and second interface coupled with a power converter and a controller. The controller is configured to, in response to detecting a battery electric vehicle (BEV) classified vehicle coupled with the power converter via the first interface while flowing a charge current to a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) classified vehicle via the second interface, redirect the charge current from the second interface to the first interface. Also, a method of controlling a charge station includes receiving first vehicle data from a first vehicle connected to a first interface and transferring power to the first interface. The method then receives second vehicle data from a second vehicle connected to a second interface and, in response to a comparison of the first vehicle data and the second vehicle data indicating a higher priority for the second vehicle, redirects power from the first interface to the second interface.

Claims

1. A vehicle charge station comprising:

interfaces coupled with a power converter; and

a controller configured to log a vehicle identification number (VIN) and a charge duration for each vehicle coupled with the vehicle charge station and to redirect power to a selected one of the interfaces based on an average charge duration associated with the VIN.

2. The vehicle charge station of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to receiving a first contract price which is greater than a second contract price and is associated with charging a first vehicle coupled with the power converter while flowing a charge current to a second vehicle at the second contract price, redirect the charge current from the second vehicle to the first vehicle.

3. The vehicle charge station of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to receiving a first entered departure time of a first vehicle coupled with the power converter while flowing a charge current to a second vehicle having a second entered departure time later than the first entered departure time, redirect the charge current from the second vehicle to the first vehicle.

4. The vehicle charge station of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to receiving a first entered travel time of a first vehicle coupled with the power converter while flowing a charge current to a second vehicle having a second entered travel time less than the first entered travel time, redirect the charge current from the second vehicle to the first vehicle.

5. The vehicle charge station of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to reserve a timeslot, based on vehicle data and entered data, and flow a charge current to an interface associated with the timeslot when a present time is within the timeslot.

6. The vehicle charge station of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to receiving a first state of charge (SOC) of a first vehicle coupled with the power converter that is less that a second SOC of a second vehicle coupled with the power converter, redirect charge current from the second vehicle to the first vehicle.

7. A method of controlling a charge station comprising:

receiving first vehicle data from a first vehicle connected to a first interface;

transferring power to the first interface;

receiving second vehicle data from a second vehicle connected to a second interface; and

responsive to a result of a comparison of the first vehicle data and the second vehicle data indicating a higher priority for the second vehicle, redirecting power from the first interface to the second interface, wherein the result of the comparison of the first vehicle data and the second vehicle data indicating the higher priority includes a lower battery state of charge, a higher contract price associated with charge energy, a longer expected travel time, or a shorter expected parking time.

8. The method claim 7 further comprising reserving a timeslot based on the result of the comparison and flowing a charge current to an interface associated with the timeslot when a present time is within the timeslot.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the reserving the timeslot further includes time division multiplexing the timeslot into a plurality of sub-timeslots and allocating each sub-timeslot of the plurality of sub-timeslots to a selected interface of a plurality of interfaces coupled with the charge station such that each vehicle of multiple vehicles sequentially receive a charge current.

10. The method of claim 7 further including logging a vehicle identification number (VIN) and a charge duration for each coupled electric vehicle, wherein the result of the comparison of the first vehicle data and the second vehicle data indicating the higher priority is based on an average charge duration associated with the VIN.

11. A method of controlling a charge station comprising:

receiving first vehicle data from a first vehicle connected to a first interface;

transferring power to the first interface;

receiving second vehicle data from a second vehicle connected to a second interface;

responsive to a comparison of the first vehicle data and the second vehicle data indicating a higher priority for the second vehicle, redirecting power from the first interface to the second interface; and

reserving a timeslot based on a result of the comparison and flowing a charge current to an interface associated with the timeslot when a present time is within the timeslot, wherein the reserving the timeslot further includes time division multiplexing the timeslot into a plurality of sub-timeslots and allocating each sub-timeslot of the plurality of sub-timeslots to a selected interface of a plurality of interfaces coupled with the charge station such that each vehicle of multiple vehicles sequentially receive a charge current.