Method to resolve a remote electrical outlet for an electrically-powered vehicle

• US 8,359,126 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Tate, Edward D. Jr., Suh, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): JARRETT, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/766,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 700/297, 320/109, 701/300
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• 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 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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 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

A method for operating a charging stall having a known geographic location configured to electrically charge an electrically-powered vehicle includes communicating a first message to a remote access server from a subject vehicle, the first message including geographic location information corresponding to the subject vehicle, detecting a presence of a parked vehicle at the charging stall with a monitoring system signally connected to a monitoring controller, communicating a second message to the remote access server from the monitoring controller, the second message comprising the detected presence of the parked vehicle at the charging stall, resolving that the parked vehicle at the charging stall comprises the subject vehicle based upon the first and second messages, and activating a power access control device at the charging stall to permit electric power flow through a corresponding electric power outlet.

Claims

1. Method for operating a charging stall having a known geographic location configured to electrically charge an electrically-powered vehicle, the method comprising:

communicating a first message to a remote access server from a subject vehicle, the first message comprising geographic location information and temporal information corresponding to the subject vehicle;

detecting a presence of a parked vehicle at the charging stall with a monitoring system signally connected to a monitoring controller;

communicating a second message to the remote access server from the monitoring controller, the second message comprising temporal information corresponding to the detected presence of the parked vehicle at the charging stall;

resolving that the parked vehicle at the charging stall comprises the subject vehicle based upon the first and second messages comprising correlating the geographic location information corresponding to the subject vehicle to the known geographic location of the charging stall and correlating the temporal information corresponding to the subject vehicle to the temporal information corresponding to the detected presence of the parked vehicle at the charging stall; and

activating a power access control device at the charging stall to permit electric power flow through a corresponding electric power outlet.

2. Method for operating a charging stall having a known geographic location configured to electrically charge an electrically-powered vehicle, the method comprising:

communicating a first message to a remote access server from a subject vehicle, the first message comprising geographic location information and temporal information corresponding to the subject vehicle;

monitoring the charging stall to detect one of a presence and an absence of a parked vehicle thereat;

periodically communicating a second message to the remote access server from a monitoring controller, the second message comprising temporal information corresponding to the detected one of the presence and the absence of the parked vehicle at the charging stall;

resolving that the subject vehicle comprises the parked vehicle at the charging stall based upon the first message and the periodically communicated second message when the second message includes the detected presence of the parked vehicle at the charging stall, comprising correlating the geographic location information corresponding to the subject vehicle to the known geographic location of the charging stall and correlating the temporal information corresponding to the subject vehicle to the temporal information corresponding to the detected presence of the parked vehicle at the charging stall; and

activating a power access control device at the charging stall to permit electric power flow through a corresponding electric power outlet subsequent to resolving that the subject vehicle comprises the parked vehicle at the charging stall.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the temporal information corresponds to the subject vehicle when the subject vehicle was stopped and keyed off.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring the charging stall to detect one of the presence and the absence of the parked vehicle thereat comprises monitoring the charging stall with a video imaging system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the video imaging system monitors a plurality of charging stalls.

6. Charging system for an electrically-powered vehicle, comprising:

a charging stall having a known geographic location and including an electric power outlet;

a monitoring system for detecting a parked vehicle in the charging stall;

a monitoring computer signally connected to the monitoring system; and

a remote access server

receiving a first message communicated from a subject vehicle, the first message comprising geographic location information and temporal information corresponding to the subject vehicle,

receiving a second message communicated from the monitoring computer, the second message comprising temporal information corresponding to the detection of the parked vehicle in the charging stall,

resolving whether the parked vehicle detected at the charging stall is the subject vehicle based upon the first and second messages including correlating the geographic location information corresponding to the subject vehicle to the known geographic location of the charging stall and correlating the temporal information corresponding to the subject vehicle to the temporal information corresponding to the detection of the parked vehicle in the charging stall, and

activating the electric power outlet when the parked vehicle detected in the charging stall is resolved to be the subject vehicle.