Methods and systems for electric vehicle (EV) charge units and systems for processing connections to charge units after charging is complete

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10411487-B2
Application number	US-201615384314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2011
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

Methods, systems, charge units, computer readable media, and combinations thereof are provided. One example method includes receiving data, at a server, indicative that a user account has accessed a charging unit for charging an electric vehicle. The charging unit has an indicator that identifies an active charging status while the electric vehicle is connected to the charging unit for charging a battery of the electric vehicle using the charging unit. The charging unit is configured to identify a complete charging status when the electric vehicle is finished charging said battery using the charging unit. The method includes receiving data, at the server, indicative of a status of charge of the electric vehicle during the charging. Sending a notification to a device having access to the user account, regarding said status of charge during the charging of the electric vehicle. The notification identifies a current level of charge of the battery of the electric vehicle and optionally an estimate of a time remaining to finish charging the battery of the electric vehicle. The method includes receiving an instruction, from the device, to maintain the electric vehicle connected to the charging unit for a set period of time after the battery of the electric vehicle is finished charging. The server is configured to sends data to the charge unit to allow the electric vehicle to maintain connected to the charging unit even when the battery of electric vehicle has reached the complete charging status.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising,
receiving data, at a server, indicative that a user account has accessed a charging unit for charging an electric vehicle, the charging unit having an indicator that identifies an active charging status while the electric vehicle is connected to the charging unit for charging a battery of the electric vehicle using the charging unit, the charging unit is configured to identify a complete charging status when the electric vehicle is finished charging said battery using the charging unit, the indicator used to publically inform charging status of the charging unit that is provided for public use;
receiving data, at the server, indicative of a status of charge of the electric vehicle during the charging;
sending a notification to a device having access to the user account regarding said status of charge during the charging of the electric vehicle, the notification identifying a current level of charge of the battery of the electric vehicle and an estimate of a time remaining to finish charging the battery of the electric vehicle; and
receiving an instruction, from the device, to maintain the electric vehicle connected to the charging unit for a set period of time after the battery of the electric vehicle is finished charging;
wherein the instruction is received at the server, the server then sends data to the charging unit to allow the electric vehicle to maintain connected to the charging unit even when the battery of the electric vehicle has reached the complete charging status and to change the indicator to charging, the method being executed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is saved to the user account for access from an application or a website via the device, the device being one of a mobile device, vehicle electronics of the electric vehicle, or a computer,
wherein the user account is accessible via the internet that provides communication to the server.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access of the charging unit for charging the battery of the electric vehicle includes receiving payment via the user account, the user account having access to a history of charge activity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a user interface of the device or a user interface of the electric vehicle receives data from the server to surface an application or interface when the electric vehicle is determined to have arrived at the charging unit, the application being configured to provide options to login or accept to proceed with an automatic payment for charging the battery of the electric vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current level of charge sent to the device is sent so that a user interface of the device shows a graphic or indicator of the current level of charge as the current level of charge changes to become more charged or finishes charging.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimate of the time to charge is dynamically calculated based on a current charge level of the battery of the electric vehicle and a charging rate of the charge unit.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction from the device includes data enabling payment of a fee to maintain the electric vehicle connected to the charging unit after the battery of the vehicle has reached the complete charging status.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set period of time is based on a fee paid via the user account or paid by a sponsoring merchant that is local or proximate to the charge unit.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charge unit includes a message function to enable users proximate to the charge unit to send a message to the user account requesting that the electric vehicle be moved when the battery of the electric vehicle has reached the complete charging status.

10. A non-transitory computer readable media having computer executable program instructions for managing communication between a charge unit and a user device, comprising,
program instructions for receiving data indicative that a user account has accessed the charging unit for charging an electric vehicle, the charging unit having an indicator that identifies an active charging status while the electric vehicle is connected to the charging unit for charging a battery of the electric vehicle using the charging unit, the charging unit is configured to identify a complete charging status when the electric vehicle is finished charging said battery using the charging unit, the indicator used to publically inform charging status of the charging unit that is provided for public use;
program instructions for receiving data indicative of a status of charge of the electric vehicle during the charging;
program instructions for sending a notification to a device having access to the user account regarding said status of charge during the charging of the electric vehicle, the notification identifying a current level of charge of the battery of the electric vehicle and an estimate of a time remaining to finish charging the battery of the electric vehicle; and
program instructions for receiving an instruction, from the device, to maintain the vehicle connected to the charging unit for a set period of time after the battery of the electric vehicle is finished charging;
program instructions for sending data to the charge unit to allow the electric vehicle to maintain connected to the charging unit even when the battery of the electric vehicle has reached the complete charging status and to change the indicator to charging.

11. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10 , wherein the notification is saved to the user account for access from an application or a website via the device, the device being one of a mobile device, vehicle electronics of the electric vehicle, or a computer, and the user account is accessible via the internet that provides communication to a server.

12. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10 , wherein the access of the charging unit for charging the battery of the electric vehicle includes receiving payment via the user account, the user account having access to a history of charge activity.

13. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10 , wherein a user interface of the device or a user interface of the electric vehicle receives data from a server to surface an application or interface when the electric vehicle is determined to have arrived at the charge unit, the application being configured to provide options to login or accept to proceed with an automatic payment for charging the battery of the electric vehicle.

14. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10 , wherein the current level of charge sent to the device is sent so that a user interface of the device shows a graphic or indicator of the current level of charge as the current level of charge changes to become more charged or finishes charging.

15. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10 , wherein the estimate of the time to charge is dynamically calculated based on a current charge level of the battery of the electric vehicle and a charging rate of the charge unit.

16. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10 , wherein the instruction from the device includes data enabling payment of a fee to enable the maintaining of the electric vehicle connected to the charging unit after the battery of the electric vehicle has reached the complete charging status.

17. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10 , wherein the set period of time is based on a fee paid via the user account or paid

Assignees

• Penilla Angel A
• Penilla Albert S
• Emerging Automotive Llc

Inventors

• Penilla Angel A
• Penilla Albert S

Classifications

• B60L53/68

  Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control · CPC title

• B60L53/126

  Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver · CPC title

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J4/25

  for transfer of electric power between AC and DC networks, e.g. for supplying the DC section within a load from an AC mains system · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title