Exterior light and charge indicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11718189-B2
Application number	US-202217703672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2022
Priority date	Jun 29, 2018
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

Electric vehicles indicate charge levels in different ways. A lighting control module is communicatively is configured to illuminate an exterior light of an electric vehicle to indicate a charge status of a battery for the electric vehicle. The charge status is indicated based on varying an intensity of the exterior light, based on illuminating a subset of the exterior lights, and/or based on an animation. The display of the charge indicator varies based on a location of the vehicle, the presence of a person in proximity to the vehicle, and/or a charger connected to the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charge indicator system for an electric vehicle, comprising:
a light; and
a light control module configured to:
determine that the electric vehicle is charging;
based on the determining:
illuminate a first region of the light and a second region of the light;
move the illuminated first region and the illuminated second region inward towards each other from initial positions; and
return the illuminated first region and the illuminated second region to their initial positions.

2. The charge indicator system of claim 1 , wherein the light is located on an exterior of the electric vehicle.

3. The charge indicator system of claim 1 , wherein the light control module is further configured to illuminate the light at a constant intensity during operation of the electric vehicle.

4. The charge indicator system of claim 1 , wherein the light control module is further configured to:
detect a charging fault; and
in response to detecting the charging fault, illuminate the light at a varying intensity.

5. The charge indicator system of claim 1 , wherein the light comprises a plurality of light segments.

6. The charge indicator system of claim 5 , wherein the light further comprises a plurality of lamps, wherein a first subset of the plurality of light segments are located in a first lamp and wherein a second subset of the plurality of segments are located in a second lamp.

7. The charge indicator system of claim 6 , wherein the first lamp is located on a left side of the electric vehicle and wherein the second lamp is located on a right side of the electric vehicle.

8. The charge indicator system of claim 1 , wherein the light control module is further configured to:
illuminate the light with a first color during operation of the electric vehicle; and
illuminate the light with a second color during charging.

9. The charge indicator system of claim 8 , wherein the second color is blue.

10. The charge indicator system of claim 1 , wherein the light control module is further configured to:
detect the presence of a person, and
illuminate the light to indicate the charge status responsive to detecting the presence of the person.

11. A method for indicating a charge of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, using processing circuitry, that the electric vehicle is charging; and
in response to determining that the electric vehicle is charging:
illuminating, using the processing circuitry, a first region of a light and a second region of the light, wherein the light is located on an exterior of the electric vehicle;
moving the illuminated first region and the illuminated second region inward towards each other from initial positions; and

returning the illuminated first region and the illuminated second region to their initial positions.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the light is located on an exterior of the electric vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising illuminating, using the processing circuitry, the light at a constant intensity during operation of the electric vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting, using the processing circuitry, a charging fault; and
in response to detecting the charging fault, illuminating the light at a varying intensity.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the light comprises a plurality of light segments.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the light further comprises a plurality of lamps, wherein a first subset of the plurality of light segments are located in a first lamp and wherein a second subset of the plurality of segments are located in a second lamp.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first lamp is located on a left side of the electric vehicle and wherein the second lamp is located on a right side of the electric vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
illuminating the light with a first color during operation of the electric vehicle; and
illuminating the light with a second color during charging.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second color is blue.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting the presence of a person, and
illuminating the light to indicate the charge status responsive to detecting the presence of the person.

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Coburn Matthew
• Gase Brian
• Hammoud Mohamad Jeffery
• Mack Luke James
• Hoste Paul

Classifications

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• G07C5/0825 Primary

  using optical means · CPC title

• B60L58/12 Primary

  responding to state of charge [SoC] · CPC title

• B60Q1/50

  for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking · CPC title