Charge state indicator for an electric vehicle

• US 8,063,757 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Kohn, Scott Ira, Frey, Paul DeWitt, Eberhard, Martin Forest, Smith, Malcolm Sloan, Lyons, David Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US11/779,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20090021364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/455, 340/636, 340/815.4, 340/815.42, 340/636.1, 340/693
• US Class Current: 340/455
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/16 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• 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

One embodiment of the present subject matter includes a battery mounted to a vehicle, with a charge state circuit located in the electric vehicle and coupled to the battery, the charge state circuit configured to provide a charge state signal indicative of the charge state of the battery. The embodiment includes a charging coupler port located proximate to a user accessible exterior of the electrical vehicle and coupled to the battery, the charging coupler port to conduct charging energy to the battery and to provide a charger connection signal indicative of a connection to an external power source. The embodiment also includes a lighting circuit coupled to the charging coupler port and the charge state circuit to control the brightness and color of an illuminated indicator responsive to the charge state signal and the charger connection signal.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring and indicating charging status for an electric vehicle battery charging system, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a charging coupler port door, wherein said charging coupler port door at least partially covers a charging coupler port mounted to an electric vehicle;

transmitting a first door status signal to a lighting control circuit when said charging coupler port door is open and transmitting a second door status signal to said lightning control circuit when said charging coupler port door is closed;

monitoring said charging coupler port to determine when a charging coupler is connected to said charging coupler port;

transmitting a first connection status signal to said lighting control circuit when said charging coupler is connected to said charging coupler port and transmitting a second connection status signal to said lighting control circuit when said charging coupler is not connected to said charging port;

monitoring said charging coupler port to determine if charging energy is being transmitted through said charging coupler port;

transmitting a first charging energy status signal to said lighting control circuit when said charging energy is transmitted through said charging coupler port and transmitting a second charging energy status signal to said lighting control circuit when said charging energy is not transmitted through said charging coupler port;

determining a charge state of a battery coupled to the electric vehicle;

comparing said charge state to a target charge state;

transmitting a first charge state status signal to the lighting control circuit, when said charge state is less than said target charge state and transmitting a second charge state status signal to said lighting control circuit when said charge state is greater than said target charge state;

monitoring for electrical faults with a fault detection circuit;

transmitting a first fault status signal to said lighting control circuit when no electrical faults are detected and transmitting a second fault status signal to said lighting control circuit when said electrical fault is detected;

activating a first colored indicator light when said lighting control circuit receives said first door status signal and said second connection status signal;

deactivating said first colored indicator light and activating a second colored indicator light when said lighting control circuit receives said first door status signal, said first connection status signal, and said second charging energy status signal, wherein said second colored indicator light is a different color from said first colored indicator lights;

deactivating said first and second colored indicator lights and activating a third colored indicator light when said lighting control circuit receives said first door status signal, said first connection status signal, said first charging energy status signal, and said first charge state status signal, wherein said third colored indicator light is a different color from said first and second colored indicator lights;

deactivating said first, second and third colored indicator lights and activating a fourth colored indicator light when said lighting control circuit receives said first door status signal, said first connection status signal, and said second charge state status signal, wherein said fourth colored indicator light is a different color from said first, second and third colored indicator lights; and

deactivating said first, second, third and fourth colored indicator lights and activating a fifth colored indicator light when said lighting control circuit receives said first door status signal and said second fault status signal, wherein said fifth colored indicator light is a different color from said first, second, third and fourth colored indicator lights.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of illuminating the charging coupler port by said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth color indicators when activated.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of selecting a white color for said first colored indicator light, selecting a blue color for said second colored indicator light, selecting a yellow color for said third colored indicator light, selecting a green color for said fourth colored indicator light, and selecting a red color for said fifth colored indicator light.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said

electrical fault corresponds to a battery malfunction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of pulsing said third color indicator at a first frequency when the charge state of the battery is at or below a first charge state, and at a second frequency when the charge state of the battery is between said first charge state and a second charge state which is higher than the first charge state.