SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING GRID CHARGING OF AN ELECTRIC/HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20080007202A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Pryor, Bryan K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,402,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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

Abstract

A vehicular charging system is provided that may be deployed on a vehicle configured to be charged from an external power source. The vehicular charging system comprises a battery assembly and a timer coupled to the battery assembly. The timer is configured to electrically couple the external power source to the battery assembly to commence charging the battery assembly at a predetermined charge initialization time.

Claims

1. A vehicular charging system deployed on a vehicle configured to be charged from an external power source, the vehicular charging system comprising:

a battery assembly; and

a timer coupled to said battery assembly and configured to electrically couple the external power source to said battery assembly to commence charging said battery assembly at a predetermined charge initialization time.

2. A vehicular charging system according to claim 1 wherein said timer comprises a processor.

3. A vehicular charging system according to claim 2 further comprising a memory coupled to said processor, said memory configured to store the charge initialization time.

4. A vehicular charging system according to claim 3 further comprising a user interface coupled to said processor, said user interface configured to permit adjustment of the charge initialization time.

5. A vehicular charging system according to claim 2 further comprising a transceiver coupled to said processor, said processor configured to establish the charge initialization time based on data from an external source received by said transceiver.

6. A vehicular charging system according to claim 2 further comprising:

a cable configured to be coupled to the external power source; and

a detector coupled to said cable and to said processor to detect when said cable is connected to the external power source, wherein said processor is configured to commence charging said battery assembly when the predetermined charge initialization time is reached and when said detector indicates that said cable is coupled to the external power source.

7. A vehicular charging system according to claim 2 further comprising a sensor coupled to said battery assembly and configured to determine the charge level of said battery assembly, said processor configured to commence charging of said battery assembly when the predetermined charge initialization time is reached and when said sensor indicates that the charge level of said battery assembly is below a predetermined threshold.

8. A vehicular charging system deployed on a vehicle configured to be charged from an external power source, the vehicular charging system comprising:

a battery assembly;

a control module coupled to said battery assembly that monitors the charge level of said battery assembly; and

a processor coupled to said battery assembly and to said control module, said processor configured to commence charging said battery assembly when the charge level of said battery assembly is at least partially depleted and when a predetermined charge initialization time is reached.

9. A vehicular charging system according to claim 8 further comprising a telematics module coupled to said processor, said processor configured to receive data from said telematics module indicative of the location of the vehicle.

10. A vehicular charging system according to claim 8 further comprising:

a cable configured to be coupled to the external power source; and

a detector coupled to said cable and to said processor to detect when said cable is connected to the external power source, wherein said processor is configured to commence charging said battery assembly when (1) the charge level of said battery assembly is at least partially depleted, (2) a predetermined charge initialization time is reached, and (3) said detector indicates that said cable is coupled to the external power source.

11. A vehicular charging system according to claim 8 further comprising a user interface coupled to said processor, said user interface configured to permit user selection of a charge mode.

12. A vehicular charging system according to claim 8 wherein said control module comprises an energy storage control module coupled to said battery assembly and configured to monitor operational parameters of said battery assembly.

13. A method for selecting the charging time of a battery assembly from an external power source, the battery assembly deployed on a vehicle including a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

storing a predetermined charge initialization time in the memory;

monitoring the current time with the processor;

recall the predetermined charge initialization time from the memory; and

commencing charging of the battery assembly when the current time reaches the predetermined charge initialization time.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the vehicle includes a sensor coupled to the processor and to the battery assembly for indicating when the battery assembly is coupled to the external power source, the method further comprising commencing charging of the battery assembly when the current time reaches the predetermined charge initialization time and when the sensor indicates that the battery assembly is coupled to the external power source.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein the vehicle includes a sensor coupled to the processor and to the battery assembly for determining the charge level of the battery assembly, the method further comprising commencing charging of the battery assembly when the current time reaches the predetermined charge initialization time and when the sensor indicates that the charge level of the battery assembly is depleted below a predetermined threshold.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein the vehicle includes a user interface coupled to the processor, the method further comprising receiving user input from the user interface indicative of a desired charge initialization time.

17. A method according to claim 13 wherein the vehicle includes a user interface coupled to the processor configured to permit selection of a standard charge mode, the method further comprising commencing charging of the battery assembly when the standard charge mode is selected.

18. A method according to claim 13 wherein the vehicle further comprises a transceiver coupled to the processor, the method further comprising determining the charge initialization time from external source data received via the transceiver.

19. A method according to claim 13 wherein the external source data comprises an assigned charge initialization time.

20. A method according to claim 13 further comprising storing a predetermined charge termination time in the memory.