ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STRATEGY

• US 20130002188A1
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Uyeki, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,000,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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 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]
• 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

The charging of an electric vehicle connected to a charging station is initiated. When a state of charge of the vehicle reaches a minimum state of charge, the charging is halted. The minimum state of charge is less than the full charge capacity of the vehicle. A time for reinitiating the charging is determined. The charging of the vehicle is reinitiated at the determined time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for charging an electric vehicle connected to a charging station, the method comprising:

identifying information of electric energy provided by the charging station;

initiating charging of the vehicle, the charging including the charging station providing electric energy to the vehicle;

halting the charging of the vehicle responsive to a state of charge of the vehicle reaching a minimum state of charge that is less than a full charge capacity of the vehicle;

determining a time for reinitiating the charging of the vehicle based on the identified information; and

reinitiating the charging of the vehicle at the determined time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified information is cost information of electric energy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified information includes time of use rates where electric energy rates vary based on at least one or more of the following:

time, day, month, and calendar season.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined time for reinitiating charging is a time when cost of electric energy is economical.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein electric energy is economical when cost of energy is below a cost during peak-hours.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein electric energy is economical when cost of energy is a cost during off-peak hours.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein a user of the vehicle provides a price range for cost of electric energy that is economical.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified information includes times of a day when electric energy is generated using a renewable energy source.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined time for reinitiating charging is a time when electric energy is generated using a renewable energy source.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum state of charge is set by a user of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum state of charge is preset by a manufacturer of the vehicle.

12. A vehicle system for charging an electric vehicle connected to a charging station, the system comprising:

a telematics-navigation device configured to identify information of electric energy provided by the charging station; and

a control unit configured to;

initiate charging of the vehicle, the charging including the charging station providing electric energy to the vehicle;

halt the charging of the vehicle responsive to a state of charge of the vehicle reaching a minimum state of charge that is less than a full charge capacity of the vehicle;

determine a time for reinitiating the charging of the vehicle based on the identified information; and

reinitiate the charging of the vehicle at the determined time.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the determined time for reinitiating charging is a time when cost of electric energy is economical.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the determined time for reinitiating charging is a time when electric energy is generated using a renewable energy source.

15. A computer-implemented method for charging electric vehicles, the method comprising:

tracking a plurality of electric vehicles charging in a sector, each of the plurality of electric vehicle connected to a charging station and charging according to a first charging strategy determined by the electric vehicle;

responsive to a total electric energy consumption of the sector being above a threshold, determining a second charging strategy for charging the plurality of electric vehicles; and

transmitting to one or more of the plurality of electric vehicles instructions for charging based on the determined second charging strategy, each of the one or more electric vehicles charging according to the transmitted instructions instead of the first charging strategy determined by the electric vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein tracking the plurality of electric vehicles comprises periodically receiving charging information from the plurality of vehicles.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first charging strategy is determined by the electric vehicle based on a charging mode selected by a user of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the determined strategy is to reduce a rate at which electric energy is being transmitted to at least one of plurality of electric vehicles by its respective charging station.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the determined strategy is stop the charging of at least one of plurality of electric vehicles.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the determined strategy is to stagger the charging of the plurality of electric vehicles.

21. A computer-implemented method for charging an electric vehicle connected to a charging station, the method comprising:

transmitting charging information to a tracking server, the electric vehicle charging in a sector according to a first charging strategy determined by the vehicle;

receiving instructions from the tracking server for charging, the instructions based on a second charging strategy determined by the tracking server responsive a total electric energy consumption of the sector being above a threshold; and

charging the vehicle according to the instructions instead of charging according to the determined first charging strategy.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first charging strategy is determined by the vehicle based on a charging mode selected by a user of the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the instructions are to reduce a rate at which the vehicle is being charged.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the instructions are to stop charging.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the second charging strategy is to stagger the charging of a plurality of electric vehicles in the sector and the instructions are to charge according to a schedule determined by the tracking server.

26. A vehicle system for charging an electric vehicle connected to a charging station, the system comprising:

a control unit configured to;

transmit charging information to a tracking server, the electric vehicle charging in a sector according to a first charging strategy determined by the vehicle;

receive instructions from the tracking server for charging, the instructions based on a second charging strategy determined by the tracking server responsive a total electric energy consumption of the sector being above a threshold; and

charge the vehicle according to the instructions instead of charging according to the determined first charging strategy.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first charging strategy is determined by the vehicle based on a charging mode selected by a user of the vehicle.