Automatic timer cancellation for charging vehicle

• US 10,793,013 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2017
• Issued: 10/06/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Patel, Tapan V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US15/418,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20180215275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• 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 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 vehicle charging system includes an on-board charger for receiving electrical power from an EVSE. The system includes a memory for storing routine charging location data and a plurality of timer functions. The system includes a sensor for detecting data. The system further includes an ECU for determining whether the on-board charger is located at a routine charging location. The ECU controls the on-board charger to receive the electrical power when the on-board charger is located at a routine charging location and a current time of day is within the time of day defined by the timer function and controls the on-board charger to receive the electrical power when the on-board charger is located at a non-routine charging location regardless of the current time of day. The system includes an output device designed to output data indicating that the on-board charger is receiving the electrical power from the EVSE.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging system comprising:

an on-board charger configured to receive electrical power from an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE);

a memory configured to store routine charging location data corresponding to routine charging locations and a plurality of timer functions each corresponding to a time of day during which the on-board charger should receive the electrical power from a corresponding routine charging location;

a sensor configured to detect data corresponding to an environment of the sensor;

an output device including a network access device configured to transmit a message to a device associated with a vehicle driver; and

an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the on-board charger, the memory, and the sensor and configured to;

determine whether the on-board charger is located at one of the routine charging locations by comparing the detected data corresponding to the environment of the sensor to the stored routine charging location data when the on-board charger is coupled to the EVSE,

control the on-board charger to receive the electrical power from the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at the one of the routine charging locations and a current time of day is within the time of day during which the on-board charger should receive the electrical power,

control the on-board charger to receive the electrical power from the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at a non-routine charging location regardless of the current time of day,

control the output device to output data indicating that the on-board charger is receiving the electrical power from the EVSE regardless of the current time of day when the on-board charger is located at the non-routine charging location, and

control the output device to transmit a message to a device associated with a vehicle driver to connect the on-board charger to the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at the non-routine charging location, the on-board charger is disconnected from the EVSE, and the current time of day is within the time of day during which the on-board charger should receive the electrical power from at least one routine charging location.

2. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a plurality of sensors configured to detect a corresponding factor, the plurality of sensors and the corresponding factor including:

a location sensor configured to detect a current location of the on-board charger;

a voltage sensor configured to detect a voltage level of the electrical power;

a current sensor configured to detect a current level of the electrical power;

a signal sensor configured to detect a voltage, a frequency, or a duty cycle of a pilot signal received from the EVSE;

a light sensor configured to detect an amount of ambient light;

or

a payment sensor configured to detect whether payment is required to receive the electrical power.

3. The vehicle charging system of claim 2 wherein the corresponding factor of each of the sensors is weighted from most important to least important as follows:

the current location of the on-board charger;

at least one of the voltage level of the electrical power or the current level of the electrical power;

at least one of the voltage, the frequency, or the duty cycle of the pilot signal received from the EVSE;

whether the payment is required to receive the electrical power; and

the amount of ambient light.

4. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 further comprising an input device coupled to the ECU and configured to receive user input corresponding to a request to cease receiving the electrical power from the EVSE, wherein the ECU is further configured to control the on-board charger to stop receiving the electrical power when the user input corresponds to the request to cease receiving the electrical power regardless of the current time of day or whether the on-board charger is located at the one of the routine charging locations or the non-routine charging location.

5. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 further comprising a battery coupled to the on-board charger and configured to receive the electrical power from the on-board charger, wherein the ECU is further configured to:

determine a state of charge (SOC) of the battery;

control the on-board charger to receive the electrical power from the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at the one of the routine charging locations and the SOC of the battery is below a predetermined SOC threshold regardless of the time of day; and

continue to control the on-board charger to receive the electrical power until the SOC of the battery reaches or exceeds the predetermined SOC threshold.

6. A vehicle charging system comprising:

an on-board charger configured to receive electrical power from an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE);

a memory configured to store routine charging location data corresponding to routine charging locations and a plurality of timer functions each corresponding to a time of day during which the on-board charger should receive the electrical power from a corresponding routine charging location;

a sensor configured to detect data corresponding to an environment of the sensor, the sensor including at least one of;

a location sensor configured to detect a current location of the on-board charger,

a voltage sensor configured to detect a voltage level of the electrical power,

a current sensor configured to detect a current level of the electrical power,

a signal sensor configured to detect a voltage, a frequency, and a duty cycle of a pilot signal received from the EVSE,

a light sensor configured to detect an amount of ambient light, or

a payment sensor configured to detect whether payment is required to receive the electrical power;

an output device including a network access device configured to transmit a message to a device associated with a driver; and

an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the on-board charger, the memory, and the sensor and configured to;

determine whether the on-board charger is located at one of the routine charging locations by comparing the detected data corresponding to the environment of the sensor to the stored routine charging location data when the on-board charger is coupled to the EVSE,

control the on-board charger to receive the electrical power from the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at the one of the routine charging locations and a current time of day is within the time of day during which the on-board charger should receive the electrical power,

control the on-board charger to receive the electrical power from the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at a non-routine charging location regardless of the current time of day,

control the output device to output data indicating that the on-board charger is receiving the electrical power from the EVSE regardless of the current time of day when the on-board charger is located at the non-routine charging location, and

control the output device to transmit a message to a device associated with a vehicle driver to connect the on-board charger to the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at the non-routine charging location, the on-board charger is disconnected from the EVSE, and the current time of day is within the time of day during which the on-board charger should receive the electrical power from at least one routine charging location.

7. The vehicle charging system of claim 6 wherein the detected data corresponding to the environment of the sensor is weighted from most important to least important as follows:

the current location of the on-board charger;

at least one of the voltage level of the electrical power or the current level of the electrical power;

at least one of the voltage, the frequency, or the duty cycle of the pilot signal received from the EVSE;

whether the payment is required to receive the electrical power; and

the amount of ambient light.

8. The vehicle charging system of claim 6 further comprising an input device coupled to the ECU and configured to receive user input corresponding to a request to cease receiving the electrical power from the EVSE, wherein the ECU is further configured to control the on-board charger to stop receiving the electrical power when the user input corresponds to the request to cease receiving the electrical power regardless of the current time of day or whether the on-board charger is located at the one of the routine charging locations or the non-routine charging location.

9. The vehicle charging system of claim 6 further comprising a battery coupled to the on-board charger and configured to receive the electrical power from the on-board charger, wherein the ECU is further configured to:

determine a state of charge (SOC) of the battery;

control the on-board charger to receive the electrical power from the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at the one of the routine charging locations and the SOC of the battery is below a predetermined SOC threshold regardless of the time of day; and

continue to control the on-board charger to receive the electrical power until the SOC of the battery reaches or exceeds the predetermined SOC threshold.

10. A method for charging a vehicle comprising:

storing, in a memory, routine charging location data corresponding to routine charging locations and a plurality of timer functions each corresponding to a time of day during which an on-board charger should receive electrical power from a corresponding routine charging location;

detecting, by a sensor, data corresponding to an environment of the sensor;

determining, by an electronic control unit (ECU), whether the on-board charger is located at one of the routine charging locations by comparing the detected data corresponding to the environment of the sensor to the stored routine charging location data when the on-board charger is coupled to an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE);

controlling, by the ECU, the on-board charger to receive the electrical power from the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at the one of the routine charging locations and a current time of day is within the time of day during which the on-board charger should receive the electrical power;

controlling, by the ECU, the on-board charger to receive the electrical power from the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at a non-routine charging location regardless of the current time of day;

controlling, by the ECU, an output device to output data indicating that the on-board charger is receiving the electrical power from the EVSE regardless of the current time of day when the on-board charger is located at the non-routine charging location; and

controlling, by the ECU, the output device to transmit a message to a device associated with a vehicle driver to connect the on-board charger to the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at the non-routine charging location, the on-board charger is disconnected from the EVSE, and the current time of day is within the time of day during which the on-board charger should receive the electrical power from at least one routine charging location.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein detecting, by the sensor, the data corresponding to the environment of the sensor includes at least one of:

detecting, by a location sensor, a current location of the on-board charger;

detecting, by a voltage sensor, a voltage level of the electrical power,

detecting, by a current sensor, a current level of the electrical power;

detecting, by a signal sensor, a voltage, a frequency, and a duty cycle of a pilot signal received from the EVSE;

detecting, by a light sensor, an amount of ambient light;

or

detecting, by a payment sensor, whether payment is required to receive the electrical power.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the data corresponding to the environment of the sensor is weighted from most important to least important as follows:

the current location of the on-board charger;

at least one of the voltage level of the electrical power or the current level of the electrical power;

at least one of the voltage, the frequency, or the duty cycle of the pilot signal received from the EVSE;

whether the payment is required to receive the electrical power; and

the amount of ambient light.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving, by an input device, user input corresponding to a request to cease receiving the electrical power from the EVSE; and

controlling, by the ECU, the on-board charger to stop receiving the electrical power when the user input corresponds to the request to cease receiving the electrical power regardless of the current time of day or whether the on-board charger is located at the one of the routine charging locations or the non-routine charging location.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving, by a battery, the electrical power from the on-board charger;

determining, by the ECU, a state of charge (SOC) of the battery;

controlling, by the ECU, the on-board charger to receive the electrical power from the EVSE when the on-board charger is located at the one of the routine charging locations and the SOC of the battery is below a predetermined SOC threshold regardless of the time of day; and

continue controlling, by the ECU, the on-board charger to receive the electrical power until the SOC of the battery reaches or exceeds the predetermined SOC threshold.