Charge notification method for extended range electric vehicles

• US 8,718,844 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Krause, Kevin R., Gault, Thomas A., Pebbles, Paul H., Fecher, Dana B., Ross, Steven J., Duer, Armando A.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US12/839,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20120016551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 903/903, 903/907, 320/137, 180/65.29
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• 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 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid 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

Abstract

The described principles provide a method and system for assisting a user of an electric vehicle in maintaining a charge state of the chargeable onboard energy storage system so as to be able to forgo the use of an auxiliary power unit to great extent. The method, also implemented by the system, comprises identifying charging locations for the vehicle, and prompting the user to charge the vehicle when the vehicle is at a charging location and a charge is need to avoid the use of the auxiliary power unit for a learned or planned journey. The charge reminder my be visible and/or audible within the vehicle and may optionally be remote from the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of assisting a user of an electric vehicle having a chargeable onboard energy storage system in maintaining a charge state of the chargeable onboard energy storage system comprising:

identifying one or more charging locations for the vehicle;

determining a current location of the vehicle;

determining the charge state of the onboard energy storage system to evaluate the remaining usable energy in the onboard energy storage system; and

conveying a charge reminder to the user of the vehicle only upon determining a current status of the vehicle wherein the remaining usable energy in the onboard energy storage system is less than a reference value, the vehicle is powered down, and the current location of the vehicle matches an identified charging location for the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying one or more charging locations for the vehicle includes requesting user input of charging location data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying one or more charging locations for the vehicle includes automatically recording charging location data based on sensing one or more locations where charging has previously occurred with respect to the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the onboard energy storage system comprises a battery and wherein determining the charge state of the onboard energy storage system includes reading one of a static voltage level and a dynamic voltage level.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the charge state of the onboard energy storage system includes maintaining a record of energy usage and comparing the energy usage against a known energy capacity of the onboard energy storage system.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference value is based on the energy needed to complete a known user trip.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining that the vehicle is powered down comprises determining whether the vehicle is in a state indicating that the vehicle will remain stationary for a sufficient period of time to at least partly charge the onboard energy storage system.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a current location of the vehicle comprises using a GPS reading to resolve the location of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a current location of the vehicle comprises using a local Wi-Fi network identifier resolve the location of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein conveying a charge reminder to the user of the vehicle comprises playing an audible reminder.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein conveying a charge reminder to the user of the vehicle comprises displaying a visual reminder to the user.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sensing that charging of the onboard energy storage system has begun, and in response to sensing that charging of the onboard energy storage system has begun, ceasing to convey the charge reminder.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a telematics unit of an electric vehicle having a chargeable onboard energy storage system, facilitate assisting a user of the electric vehicle in maintaining a charge state of the chargeable onboard energy storage system by performing a method comprising the steps of:

identifying one or more charging locations for the vehicle;

determining a current location of the vehicle;

determining the charge state of the onboard energy storage system to evaluate the remaining usable energy in the onboard energy storage system; and

conveying a charge reminder to the user of the vehicle only upon determining a current status of the vehicle wherein the remaining usable energy in the onboard energy storage system is less than a reference value, the vehicle is powered down, and the current location of the vehicle matches an identified charging location for the vehicle.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein identifying one or more charging locations for the vehicle includes requesting user input of charging location data.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein identifying one or more charging locations for the vehicle includes automatically recording charging location data based on sensing one or more locations where charging has previously occurred with respect to the vehicle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the onboard energy storage system comprises a battery and wherein determining the charge state of the onboard energy storage system includes reading one of a static voltage level and a dynamic voltage level.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the charge state of the onboard energy storage system includes maintaining a record of energy usage and comparing the energy usage against a known energy capacity of the onboard energy storage system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the reference value is based on the energy needed to complete a known user trip.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining that the vehicle is powered down comprises determining whether the vehicle is in a state indicating that the vehicle will remain stationary for a sufficient period of time to at least partly charge the onboard energy storage system.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining a current location of the vehicle comprises using a GPS reading to resolve the location of the vehicle.