Method for charging an accumulator incorporated in an electrical motor vehicle

• US 9,972,160 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Bld, Martin, Halamek, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHARIEF, MOHAMMED JAMEEL
• Application Number:
  US14/344,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20160200204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 320109, 320104
• 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 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• 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 charging an accumulator in an electrical motor vehicle includes connecting the accumulator to a low voltage power outlet connected to a power supply network. A counter identifier of a stationary electric meter that measures electrical energy supplied by the energy supply network via the power outlet is transmitted to a central computer. The vehicle location of the electrical motor vehicle is transmitted to the central computer and the central computer compares a counter location associated with the electrical meter with the transmitted vehicle location of the motor vehicle. In case of agreement between the counter location and the transmitted vehicle location, a charging signal which initiates the charging of the accumulator is sent from the central computer to the charging device of the electrical motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for charging an accumulator, the accumulator being (a) connectable to a plug socket (2) connected to an energy supply network, and (b) incorporated in an electric motor vehicle (1) for storing electrical energy for the operation of an electric drive motor of the electric motor vehicle (1) with electrical energy received from the energy supply network, the method comprising:

receiving, by a central computer (4), a meter identifier of a stationary electricity meter, which measures the electrical energy supplied from the energy supply network via the plug socket (2);

receiving, by the central computer (4), a vehicle location of the electric motor vehicle (1);

comparing, by the central computer (4), a meter location assigned to the electricity meter to the received vehicle location of the electric motor vehicle (1);

upon agreement between the compared meter location and the transmitted vehicle location, sending, by the central computer (4);

(a) a charging signal, which initiates the charging of the accumulator; and

(b) charging data comprising an indication of when charging should occur, to a charging device (11) of the electric motor vehicle (1), which charging device (11) is configured to control the charging of the accumulator;

generating, by the central computer (4) or by a computer (12) connected to the central computer (4), a charging plan that specifies at least a charging period, an amount of charging energy of an energy supplier supplying electrical energy in the energy supply network, and an allocation of electrical energy, the allocation being dependent on time of day;

transmitting, by the central computer (4) to the charging device (11), the charging data comprising the charging plan;

charging and controlling, by the charging device (11), the accumulator according to the charging plan; and

during the charging of the accumulator by the charging device (11), regularly receiving by the central computer (4) a value for the respective charging state of the accumulator, and, upon loading of the energy supply network exceeding a predetermined value, temporally extending the charging of the accumulator of the vehicle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the central computer (4) receiving a vehicle identifier.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charging device (11) starts the charging of the accumulator on the basis of the charging signal and the charging data and controls the amount of energy to be taken from the energy supply network to charge the accumulator.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, before the charging signal is sent by the central computer (4), a value for the maximum current loading capacity of the plug socket (2) is received by the central computer (4).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, before the charging signal is sent by the central computer (4), a value for a charging state of the accumulator is received by the central computer (4).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, after the charging of the accumulator by the charging device (11) has finished, a value for the amount of energy taken from the energy supply network for the present charging of the accumulator is received by the central computer (4).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug socket is a low-voltage plug socket.