Location Based Charging Control System

• US 20140347018A1
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Boblett, Brennan, Penke, Nalinichandra, Vu, Miriam, Hsieh, Kevin, Goldman, Roy, Hayer, Thorsten
• Granted Patent: US 9,637,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A method for automatically charging the battery pack of an electric vehicle in accordance with a set of location sensitive charging instructions is provided. Exemplary location sensitive charging instructions include preset charging schedules and preset charge level limits. Different charging schedules and different charge level limits may be preset for different charging stations and locations, thus allowing the user to preset the charging instructions for each of multiple locations where the user routinely charges their car. Default charging instructions are used at those charging stations and locations where a set of location sensitive charging instructions has not been preset.

Claims

1. A method of charging a battery pack of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

accepting a first set of charging instructions for a first charging station, wherein said first set of charging instructions is input by a user and said accepting step is performed by a controller of an on-board vehicle control system;

recording said first set of charging instructions for said first charging station in a memory;

determining when said electric vehicle is located at said first charging station, wherein said determining step is performed by said controller; and

in response to the determination, charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first set of charging instructions, wherein said battery pack of said electric vehicle is charged in accordance with a set of default charging instructions when said electric vehicle is located at an alternate charging station to which the first set of charging instructions does not apply.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of accepting said first set of charging instructions further comprises the steps of positioning said electric vehicle at a location corresponding to said first charging station and identifying said first charging station based on said location, wherein said identifying step is performed by said controller, wherein said positioning and identifying steps are performed prior to said accepting step, and wherein said accepting step is performed while said electric vehicle is positioned at said location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of accepting said first set of charging instructions further comprises the steps of positioning said electric vehicle at a location corresponding to said first charging station, receiving a unique charging station identification (ID) code from said first charging station, and identifying said first charging station based on said unique charging station ID code, wherein said receiving and identifying steps are performed by said controller, wherein said positioning, receiving and identifying steps are performed prior to said accepting step, and wherein said accepting step is performed while said electric vehicle is positioned at said location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of charging instructions is input by said user on a remote system separate from said electric vehicle, wherein said accepting step further comprises the step of receiving said first charging schedule from said remote system by said controller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining when said electric vehicle is located at said first charging station further comprises the steps of positioning said electric vehicle at a location within a preset distance from said first charging station and identifying said first charging station based on said location within said preset distance from said first charging station, wherein said identifying step is performed by said controller.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of accepting said preset distance and recording said preset distance in said memory, wherein said preset distance is input by said user and said steps of accepting and recording said preset distance are performed by said controller.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of accepting said preset distance and recording said preset distance in said memory, wherein said preset distance is input by a vehicle manufacturer and said steps of accepting and recording said preset distance are performed by said controller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining when said electric vehicle is located at said first charging station further comprises the steps of positioning said electric vehicle at a location corresponding to said first charging station, receiving a unique charging station identification (ID) code from said first charging station, and identifying said first charging station based on said unique charging station ID code, wherein said receiving and identifying steps are performed by said controller.

9. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising the step of issuing a confirmation query prior to performing said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said set of default charging instructions when said electric vehicle is located at said alternate charging station, wherein receipt by said controller of a first response to said confirmation query results in performing said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said set of default charging instructions, and wherein receipt by said controller of a second response to said confirmation query results in performing the steps of accepting an alternate set of charging instructions for said alternate charging station, recording said alternate set of charging instructions for said alternate charging station in said memory and charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said alternate set of charging instructions when said electric vehicle is located at said alternate charging station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of default charging instructions is preset by a vehicle manufacturer of said electric vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of default charging instructions is preset by said user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of charging instructions is comprised of a first charging schedule.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

accepting a second charging schedule for a second charging station, wherein said second charging schedule is input by said user and said accepting step is performed by said controller;

recording said second charging schedule for said second charging station in said memory;

determining when said electric vehicle is located at either said first charging station or said second charging station, wherein said determining step is performed by said controller; and

in response to the step of determining when said electric vehicle is located at either said first charging station or said second charging station, charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first charging schedule when said electric vehicle is located at said first charging station and charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said second charging schedule when said electric vehicle is located at said second charging station, wherein said battery pack of said electric vehicle is charged in accordance with said set of default charging instructions when said electric vehicle is located at said alternate charging station to which neither the first charging schedule nor the second charging schedule applies.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said first charging schedule is comprised of at least one of a day-of-the-week insensitive charging start time, a day-of-the-week based charging start time, a day-of-the-week insensitive charging end time, and a day-of-the-week based charging end time.

15. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising the step of issuing a confirmation query prior to performing said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first set of charging instructions, wherein receipt by said controller of a first response to said confirmation query results in performing said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first set of charging instructions, and wherein receipt by said controller of a second response to said confirmation query results in performing the steps of over-riding said first set of charging instructions and immediately initiating charging of said battery pack of said electric vehicle.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said set of default charging instructions requires charging of said battery pack to be immediately initiated after said battery pack is electrically coupled to said alternate charging station.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first charging schedule when said electric vehicle is located at said first charging station further comprises the steps of:

determining a current time;

comparing said current time to a scheduled start time of said first charging schedule;

immediately performing said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first charging schedule if said current time is within a preset window of time, wherein said preset window of time corresponds to said scheduled start time plus a preset time period; and

delaying performance of said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first charging schedule until said scheduled start time if said current time is outside of said preset window of time.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said preset time period is set by a vehicle manufacturer of said electric vehicle.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of accepting said preset time period and recording said preset time period in said memory, wherein said preset time period is input by said user, and wherein said step of accepting said preset time period is performed by said controller.

20. The method of claim 17, said method further comprising the step of issuing a confirmation query prior to performing said step of delaying performance of said step of charging said battery pack, wherein receipt by said controller of a first response to said confirmation query results in performing said step of delaying performance of said step of charging said battery pack, and wherein receipt by said controller of a second response to said confirmation query results in performing the steps of over-riding said step of delaying performance of said step of charging said battery pack and immediately initiating charging of said battery pack of said electric vehicle.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

accepting a target charge level for said first charging station, wherein said target charge level is input by said user and said step of accepting said target charge level is performed by said controller;

recording said target charge level for said first charging station in said memory;

monitoring a current charge level while performing said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first charging schedule;

comparing said current charge level to said target charge level; and

terminating said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first charging schedule when said current charge level is equal to or greater than said target charge level.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of charging instructions is comprised of a target charge level, and wherein said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first set of charging instructions further comprises:

monitoring a current charge level;

comparing said current charge level to said target charge level; and

terminating said step of charging said battery pack of said electric vehicle in accordance with said first set of charging instructions when said current charge level is equal to or greater than said target charge level.