Charger and charging method

• US 9,902,281 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kondo, Yasuaki, Shigematsu, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US13/984,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• 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 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

The present invention is applied to a charger that charges a rechargeable battery mounted on an electric vehicle. The charger according to the present invention includes an electric power supply unit that supplies electric power to said rechargeable battery; a payment unit that makes payment with electronic money to use said charger; and a control unit, when said control unit is instructed by said electric vehicle to start charging, that instructs said electric power supply unit to start supplying electric power to said rechargeable battery and that instructs said payment unit to make payment with said electronic money.

Claims

1. A charger that charges a rechargeable battery, wherein said rechargeable battery is mounted on an electric vehicle, comprising:

an electric power supply unit that supplies electric power to said rechargeable battery;

a payment unit that makes payment with electronic money to use said charger; and

a control unit that, when said control unit is instructed by said electric vehicle to start charging, that causes said electric power supply unit to start supplying electric power to said rechargeable battery and then, that reads information that is needed for payment, and instructs said payment unit to make payment with said electronic money,

wherein if said payment unit has not made payment with said electronic money after said control unit has been instructed by said electric vehicle to start charging and a predetermined time period has elapsed, said control unit instructs said electric power supply unit to stop supplying electric power to said rechargeable battery wherein after said control unit has been instructed by said electric vehicle to start charging until said payment unit has made payment with said electronic money, said control unit instructs said electric power supply unit to supply electric power to said rechargeable battery at a first current supply rate, and

wherein if said payment unit has made payment with said electronic money, said control unit instructs said electric power supply unit to supply electric power to said rechargeable battery at a second current supply rate that is higher than said first current supply rate.

2. The charger as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit,

wherein after said control unit has been instructed by said electric vehicle to start charging until said payment unit has made payment with said electronic money, said control unit instructs said display unit to display a screen that prompts the user to touch with an IC card having a function of said electronic money.

3. The charger as set forth in claim 2, Wherein after said control unit has been instructed by said electric vehicle to start charging until said payment unit has made payment with said electronic money, said control unit displays a screen that indicates paying is in progress on said display unit, and after said payment unit has made payment with said electronic money, said control unit displays a screen that indicates charging is in progress on said display unit.

4. A charger that charges a rechargeable battery, wherein said rechargeable battery is mounted on an electric vehicle, comprising:

an electric power supply unit that supplies electric power to said rechargeable battery;

a payment unit that makes payment with electronic money in order to use said charger;

a display unit; and

a control unit that displays a screen that indicates paying is in progress on said display unit after said control unit has been instructed by said electric vehicle to start charging until said payment unit has been made payment with said electronic money, and that displays a screen that indicates charging is in progress on said display unit after said payment unit has made payment with said electronic money,

wherein if said payment unit has not made payment with said electronic money after said control unit has been instructed by said electric vehicle to start charging and a predetermined time period has elapsed, said control unit instructs said electric power supply unit to stop supplying electric power to said rechargeable battery wherein after said control unit has been instructed by said electric vehicle to start charging until said payment unit has made payment with said electronic money, said control unit instructs said electric power supply unit to supply electric power to said rechargeable battery at a first current supply rate, and

wherein if said payment unit has made payment with said electronic money, said control unit instructs said electric power supply unit to supply electric power to said rechargeable battery at a second current supply rate that is higher than said first current supply rate.