System and method for monitoring an electric vehicle charger

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for monitoring an electric vehicle charger. A system is disclosed that includes a detection unit and a processor. The detection unit may be configured to measure a level of unqualified movement associated with the system. The processor may be configured to determine a system installation state from a plurality of system installation states and identify an optimal movement threshold from a plurality of movement thresholds associated with the plurality of system installation states based on the system installation state. The system may also determine that the level of disqualified movement may be greater than the optimal movement threshold, and perform a predefined action in response to determining that the level of disqualified movement may be greater than the optimal movement threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for monitoring electric vehicle chargers during shipping, pre-installation phases, and post-installation phases. Background Art

[0002] Many equipment or systems need to be transported from their manufacturing site or warehouse to their installation site or destination location. For example, an electric vehicle charger may need to be transported from a warehouse to a customer location or charging station for installation. There may be instances where the charger encounters adverse conditions during the shipping and / or pre-installation phase, resulting in dents, scratches, etc. on the charger and / or one or more damaged charger components.

[0003] In such instances, it becomes difficult to ascertain whether the charger was shipped from the warehouse in this state, or whether the charger became damaged during shipping operations and / or a pre-installation phase where the customer may have mishandled the charger. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure describes a system or electric vehicle charger ("charger") that can be configured to determine details / information associated with an adverse situation that the charger may encounter. In some aspects, the charger may encounter an adverse situation while the charger may be in transit from a warehouse / source location to a customer / destination location, or while the charger may be at the destination location in a pre-installation state or an installed state. When the charger encounters an adverse situation, the charger may develop dents, scratches, etc., and / or one or more charger components may be damaged. The adverse situation details / information determined by the charger can assist the customer and / or operators associated with the charger shipping / delivery company, charger original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and insurance companies, etc., in determining potential responsible parties for the adverse situation and / or plan remedial measures to prevent similar adverse situations from occurring in the future.

[0005] In some aspects, the charger may include a detection unit or accelerometer that can be configured to measure the extent of charger misalignment or sudden movement when the charger is likely to be in a shipping state (e.g., when the charger is likely to be shipped), a pre-installation state, or an installed state. The charger can also be configured to determine an optimal movement threshold associated with the charger based on the charger state the charger is likely to be in, the optimal movement threshold being considered "normal" or within "allowable limits." For example, the charger may determine a first movement threshold as the optimal movement threshold when the charger state is likely to be a shipping state; a second movement threshold as the optimal movement threshold when the charger state is likely to be a pre-installation state; and a third movement threshold as the optimal movement threshold when the charger state is likely to be an installed state.

[0006] In response to determining the optimal movement threshold, the charger may compare the level of unacceptable movement measured by the accelerometer to the optimal movement threshold to determine whether the charger may have encountered an adverse situation. In some aspects, the charger may determine that the charger may have encountered an adverse situation when the level of unacceptable movement measured by the accelerometer may be greater than the optimal movement threshold. In response to this determination, the charger may perform one or more predefined actions.

[0007] For example, in response to determining that the charger may have encountered an adverse situation, the charger may power its telematics control unit (TCU) and geolocation unit using energy stored in the charger battery (e.g., when the charger may be in a shipping state or a pre-installation state, or when the charger may be in an installed state but the utility power supply to the charger may be interrupted). When the geolocation unit can be powered on, the geolocation unit can determine the charger geolocation where the charger may have encountered the adverse situation. In addition, when the TCU can be powered on, the TCU can transmit details associated with the adverse situation to a server and / or a user device. In an exemplary aspect, the details associated with the adverse situation may include the charger geolocation where the charger may have encountered the adverse situation, information associated with the date and time when the charger may have encountered the adverse situation, an unqualified movement level measured by an accelerometer, and the like. The charger may also store the above details in a charger memory.

[0008] Customers and / or operators associated with charger shipping / delivery companies, charger OEMs, insurance companies, etc. can access the server, user device and / or charger memory to analyze details associated with the adverse situation to identify or determine the potential responsible parties for the adverse situation (and plan future remedial actions).

[0009] The present disclosure discloses a charger that can determine details associated with adverse situations that the charger may encounter. The charger can determine details associated with the adverse situation when the charger may be in transit, in a pre-installation state, or after installation. The details help charger customers and / or operators associated with charger OEMs and insurance companies, etc., to easily determine the responsible party for the adverse situation and plan future actions accordingly. The charger provides end-to-end monitoring support to customers and / or operators because the charger determines details associated with the adverse situation from the charger's shipping state to the post-installation state.

[0010] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Detailed description of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0012] Figure 1 An example environment is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0013] Figure 2 A block diagram of an electric vehicle charger according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0014] Figure 3 Depicted are example snapshots of a user interface displaying a shipping event log in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4 Depicted are example snapshots of an electric vehicle charger interface displaying a delivery event log in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5 A flow chart depicts an example method for monitoring an electric vehicle charger according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the disclosure are shown and which are not intended to be limiting.

[0018] Figure 1 An example environment 100 is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. Environment 100 may include a vehicle 102 that may be configured to transport a system 104 from a source location 106 to a destination location 108 via a road network 110. Vehicle 102 may take the form of any commercial vehicle, such as a sedan, a work vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a truck, a van, a minivan, etc. Furthermore, vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle and / or may be configured to operate in a fully autonomous (e.g., driverless) mode or a partially autonomous mode, and may include any powertrain, such as a gasoline engine, one or more electric actuation motors, a hybrid powertrain, etc.

[0019] exist Figure 1In the exemplary aspect depicted in FIG, system 104 is an electric vehicle charger; however, the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, system 104 may be any other device / equipment / equipment that may need to be transported from source location 106 to destination location 108. Hereinafter, system 104 is referred to as charger 104 in the present disclosure.

[0020] The source location 106 may be, for example, a warehouse, a manufacturing plant, a dealer / retailer store, etc., from which the charger 104 may need to be loaded into the vehicle 102 and transported to the destination location 108. The destination location 108 may be, for example, a customer's home / office, a public or private charging station, etc., from which a customer (not shown) may receive the charger 104 from the vehicle 102 and install the charger 104. Figure 1 An example snapshot of charger 104 in an installed state is depicted in view 112 of FIG. As shown in view 112 , when charger 104 is in the installed state, any electric vehicle (e.g., vehicle 114 , which may be similar to or different from vehicle 102 ) may use charger 104 to charge at destination location 108 .

[0021] As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, in some cases, the charger 104 may encounter adverse conditions at the source location 106 (e.g., during a loading operation), during transportation on the road network 110 (e.g., while the charger 104 is being transported from the source location 106 to the destination location 108 in the vehicle 102), and / or at the destination location 108 (e.g., during a pre-installation phase where a customer may have received the charger 104 but may not have yet installed the charger 104). The charger 104 may also encounter adverse conditions after it is installed at the destination location 108. In some aspects, the adverse conditions may cause the charger 104 to become dented or scratched, or one or more charger components may become damaged when the charger 104 encounters the adverse conditions.

[0022] The charger 104 may be configured to determine when the charger 104 may encounter an adverse situation and store details associated with the adverse situation in system memory (in Figure 2 218) and / or transmit the details to a server (shown as memory 218 in FIG. Figure 2 202) and / or a user device (shown as a server 202 in Figure 2108). Specifically, the charger 104 may be configured to determine whether the charger 104 encounters an adverse situation while in transit (or in the charger's "transport state") when the charger 104 may be transported from the source location 106 to the destination location 108 via the vehicle 102, or in the charger's "pre-installation state" when the charger 104 may be delivered to the destination location 108 but not yet installed, or in the charger's "installed state" when the charger 104 may be installed at the destination location 108. A customer, a charger original equipment manufacturer (OEM) / manufacturer, a transportation company associated with the vehicle 102, an insurance company, etc. may access the server, user device, and / or system memory to view detailed information associated with the adverse situation and identify potential causes of the adverse situation and / or a responsible party for the adverse situation (e.g., a customer, a vehicle operator associated with the vehicle 102, a warehouse operator, a user charging the vehicle at the destination location 108 using the charger 104, etc.). The process of determining the details associated with the adverse situation and storing and / or transmitting the details is briefly described below and will be discussed later in the description. Figure 2 Detailed description.

[0023] In some aspects, the charger 104 may include a detection unit (in Figure 2 1 ), the detection unit may be configured to measure a level of unacceptable or abnormal movement associated with the charger 104. In an exemplary aspect, the detection unit may be an accelerometer configured to measure an amount of sudden longitudinal and / or lateral movement associated with the charger 104 while the charger 104 is in a transport state, a pre-installation state, or an installed state. The charger 104 may monitor the level of unacceptable movement measured by the detection unit continuously or at a predefined frequency, and may perform one or more predefined actions based on the state of the charger 104 when the level of unacceptable movement exceeds a predefined threshold.

[0024] Specifically, the charger 104 may first determine the charger state that the charger 104 may be in (according to the three states described above, i.e., shipping state, pre-installation state, or installed state). In some aspects, the charger state may be set by a charger operator, an operator associated with the vehicle 102, a charger OEM / manufacturer, a customer, etc. The charger 104 may also "auto-set" its own state based on the charger's geographic location, input received from one or more operators described above, and / or an external power supply fed to the charger 104 (e.g., when the charger 104 may be installed at the destination location 108).

[0025] In response to determining the charger state, the charger 104 may identify, based on the charger state, an optimal / appropriate or "allowable" threshold (or "optimal movement threshold") for non-conforming movement that may be considered normal or usual for the charger 104. As an example, the optimal movement threshold may have a higher value when the charger 104 is likely to be in a transport state (e.g., when the road network 110 is likely to be bumpy) and may have a lower value when the charger 104 is likely to be in an installed state.

[0026] In response to identifying the optimal movement threshold, the charger 104 can compare the level of unacceptable movement measured by the detection unit to the identified optimal movement threshold and perform a predefined action when the measured level of unacceptable movement exceeds the optimal movement threshold. In some aspects, the measured level of unacceptable movement exceeds the optimal movement threshold when, for example, the charger 104 encounters an adverse situation that may cause dents, scratches, etc. on the charger 104 or damage one or more charger components. The predefined action performed by the charger 104 can be based on the charger state that the charger 104 may be in.

[0027] As an example, when the charger 104 may be in a transport state and the level of measured unacceptable movement exceeds an optimal movement threshold for the transport state (e.g., a “first movement threshold”), the charger 104 may first cause the charger battery (at Figure 2 210) to the charger's telematics control unit ("TCU" in the Figure 2 214) and / or a geolocation unit (shown as TCU 214 in FIG. Figure 2 In other words, when the level of unqualified movement measured in the transport state of the system exceeds a first movement threshold, the charger 104 can cause the TCU and / or the geolocation unit to "wake up" (by powering them using the charger's battery power). In some aspects, the geolocation unit can determine the real-time system location while the geolocation unit is powered, and the TCU can be configured to transmit signals / data to the external system while the TCU is powered.

[0028] In response to powering the TCU and / or the geolocation unit, the charger 104 may cause the TCU to transmit details associated with an "event" or "adverse situation" that may have caused the measured level of unacceptable movement to exceed the optimal movement threshold to the server and / or user device. In an exemplary aspect, the details may include the system geolocation when the adverse situation may have occurred (as determined by the geolocation unit), information associated with the date and time when the adverse situation may have occurred, the level of unacceptable movement measured by the detection unit when the adverse situation may have occurred, etc. In additional or alternative aspects, the charger 104 may store the above details in system memory.

[0029] Operators associated with the charger OEM / manufacturer, transportation companies associated with vehicle 102, and the like can access the server and / or user device to view details associated with the adverse condition to determine whether charger 104 may have sustained dents, scratches, and the like due to the adverse condition and determine the party responsible for the adverse condition. A customer receiving charger 104 at destination location 108 can also visually inspect charger 104 to identify any potential dents, scratches, and the like, and access the server and / or user device to view the charger's "shipping log" or "transportation log" and / or determine the party responsible for the dents, scratches, and the like based on the shipping log (if the customer identifies a dent based on a visual inspection). The customer can also access / view the charger's shipping or transportation log by accessing the system memory. In this way, all parties involved in the charger's manufacturing, loading / unloading, shipping, receiving, installation, and the like can transparently view details associated with adverse conditions that charger 104 may have encountered and can accordingly identify the party responsible for the adverse condition. This can make the process of repairing the charger (if necessary), obtaining funding for the charger repair, and claiming insurance easier and more convenient for all parties involved.

[0030] In some aspects, the customer may refuse to accept the charger 104 at the destination location 108 when the charger 104 may have encountered adverse conditions in transit (resulting in dents, scratches, and / or damaged charger components), or may accept the charger 104 at the destination location 108 when the charger 104 may be in an acceptable condition (i.e., when the charger 104 may not have encountered any adverse conditions in transit and / or may not have any dents, scratches, and / or damaged charger components).

[0031] In some aspects, when the customer receives the charger 104 at the destination location 108, the customer and / or vehicle operator may change the charger state from the transport state to the pre-installation state (or the charger 104 itself may change its state to the pre-installation state). In response to the charger state changing to the pre-installation state, the charger 104 may identify an optimal motion threshold (e.g., a "second motion threshold") associated with the charger 104 in the pre-installation state. In some aspects, the second motion threshold may be different from the first motion threshold. Also in the pre-installation state, the charger 104 may monitor the level of unacceptable motion measured by the detection unit and, when the measured level of unacceptable motion exceeds the second motion threshold, perform one or more predefined actions. For example, the charger 104 may power or "wake up" the TCU and / or geolocation unit and transmit details associated with the adverse situation (i.e., when the measured level of unacceptable motion exceeds the second motion threshold) to the server and / or user device. The charger 104 may also store the details in system memory. Also in this case, an operator associated with the charger OEM / manufacturer, a transportation company associated with vehicle 102, etc. can access the server and / or user device to view details associated with the adverse situation and determine whether charger 104 encountered the adverse situation due to customer misoperation in its pre-installation state (and can plan future actions accordingly).

[0032] In another aspect, when the charger 104 may be powered and installed at the destination location 108, the customer and / or charger operator may change the charger state to the installed state (or the charger 104 itself may change its state to the installed state). In response to the charger state changing to the installed state, the charger 104 may identify an optimal movement threshold (e.g., a "third movement threshold") associated with the charger 104 in the installed state. In some aspects, the third movement threshold may be different from the first and second movement thresholds described above. Furthermore, the third movement threshold may be adaptable or modifiable. In other words, the charger 104 may modify the third movement threshold based on multiple parameters, such as ambient temperature and / or humidity levels, the type of operations performed using the charger 104, the load connected to the charger 104, etc. In a similar manner, in some aspects, the first and second movement thresholds may also be adaptable or modifiable based on multiple parameters.

[0033] Also in the installed state, the charger 104 can monitor the level of unqualified movement measured by the detection unit and perform one or more predefined actions when the level of unqualified movement measured exceeds a third movement threshold. Figure 2 Examples of predefined actions performed by the charger 104 in the installed state are described in detail, along with further charger details.

[0034] The vehicle 102 and charger 104 implement and / or perform operations as described herein in accordance with the vehicle owner's manual and safety guidelines. Additionally, any actions taken by an operator / customer associated with the charger 104 based on notifications provided by the charger 104 should comply with all regulations (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.) specific to the location and operation of the charger 104. Notifications provided by the charger 104 should be considered advisories and should only be followed in accordance with any regulations specific to the location and operation of the charger 104.

[0035] Figure 2 A block diagram of an electric vehicle charger 104 (or charger 104) according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 2 When referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4 .

[0036] The charger 104 can be communicatively coupled to one or more servers 202 (or servers 202) and a user device 204 via one or more networks 206 (or networks 206). In some aspects, the server 202 can be associated with the charger OEM / manufacturer. In other aspects, the server 202 can be associated with the transportation company that operates the vehicle 102. In yet another aspect, the server 202 can be associated with an insurance company or a company configured to repair the charger 104 and / or provide financing for the repair of the charger.

[0037] In some aspects, the user device 204 may be associated with a customer who may receive the charger 104 at the destination location 108. In other aspects, the user device 204 may be associated with a carrier associated with the charger OEM / manufacturer, the vehicle 102, a transportation company operating the vehicle 102, an insurance company, etc. The user device 204 may be, for example, a mobile phone, a laptop, a computer, a tablet, a wearable device, or any other device with communication capabilities.

[0038] The network 206 illustrates an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. The network 206 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Low energy (BLE), Wi-Fi based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, ultra-wideband (UWB), and cellular technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPDA), long-term evolution (LTE), global system for mobile communications (GSM) and fifth generation (5G), to name a few.

[0039] The charger 104 may include a plurality of units including, but not limited to, a geolocation unit 208, a battery 210, a detection unit 212, a telematics control unit (TCU) 214, a processor 216, and a memory 218 that are communicatively coupled to one another. The geolocation unit 208 may be configured to determine / detect real-time system geolocation or real-time charger geolocation, and the TCU 214 may be configured to transmit signals or data to one or more external devices or systems (e.g., the server 202, the user device 204, etc.). In some aspects, the geolocation unit 208 may be part of the TCU 214. In other aspects, the geolocation unit 208 may be separate from the TCU 214, such as Figure 2 As shown in .

[0040] The battery 210 can be configured to store power / energy and provide power / energy to the geolocation unit 208, the TCU 214, and / or other charger components when the charger 104 may not be connected to the utility power supply. In some aspects, the detection unit 212 can include an accelerometer and can be configured to measure the level of unacceptable movement associated with the charger 104 when the charger 104 may be in any of a plurality of charger installation states (i.e., a transport state, a pre-installation state, or an installed state). In other words, the detection unit 212 can measure the level of sudden charger movement (e.g., sudden longitudinal or lateral charger movement) when the charger 104 may be in any of a plurality of charger installation states.

[0041] The processor 216 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 218 and / or memory 219) configured to communicate with a corresponding computing system. Figure 2The processor 216 may utilize the memory 218 to store programs and / or store data in the form of code to perform various aspects of the present disclosure. The memory 218 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores program code that enables the processor 216 to perform operations according to the present disclosure. The memory 218 may include any one or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0042] The memory 218 can be configured to store charger details or charger information. In some aspects, the memory 218 can include an adverse situation information database 220, which can be configured to store details associated with adverse situations encountered by the charger 104 in a shipping state, a pre-installation state, or an installed state. The details associated with the adverse situation are described above in conjunction with Figure 1 A brief description is given and described in detail later in the description below.

[0043] In operation, when the charger 104 may be loaded into the vehicle 102 and may be ready to be transported from the source location 106 to the destination location 108, an operator associated with the vehicle 102 or the charger OEM / manufacturer may fully charge the battery 210 and set the charger state to the transport state. In additional or alternative aspects, when the charger 104 may be being transported from the source location 106 to the destination location 108, the charger 104 itself may set its state to the transport state. When the charger state may be set to the transport state, the processor 216 may determine the charger state (i.e., the transport state) from a plurality of charger states (i.e., the transport state, the pre-installation state, and the installed state) and may accordingly identify (from a plurality of movement thresholds associated with the plurality of charger states) an optimal movement threshold for the charger 104 associated with the transport state. For example, in this case, because the charger 104 may be in the transport state, the processor 216 may identify the first movement threshold as the optimal movement threshold for the charger 104 from the first movement threshold, the second movement threshold, and the third movement threshold (as described above in conjunction with FIG. 2 ). Figure 1 described above).

[0044] Furthermore, when the charger 104 may be transported from the source location 106 to the destination location 108 via the vehicle 102 in a transport state, the processor 216 may continuously (or at a predefined frequency) obtain the level of unacceptable movement associated with the charger 104 from the detection unit 212. The processor 216 may also compare the level of unacceptable movement to a first movement threshold and may perform one or more predefined actions when the processor 216 determines that the measured level of unacceptable movement may be greater than the first movement threshold. In other words, when the level of sudden charger movement may be greater than the first movement threshold, the processor 216 may perform one or more predefined actions. In some aspects, the level of unacceptable movement may be greater than the first movement threshold when, for example, the charger 104 may encounter adverse conditions during transportation from the source location 106 to the destination location 108, which may potentially result in dents, scratches, and / or cracked charger components.

[0045] The following describes examples of predefined actions performed by the processor 216 in response to determining that the level of measured unqualified movement may be greater than the first movement threshold. The following examples should not be construed as limiting, and the processor 216 may also perform additional actions without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0046] In an exemplary aspect, in response to determining that the measured level of unqualified movement may be greater than the first movement threshold, the processor 216 may cause the battery 210 to provide power / energy to (or "wake up") the TCU 214 and the geolocation unit 208. When the geolocation unit 208 may be powered on, the geolocation unit 208 may determine a real-time charger geolocation (or "charger geolocation") when the level of unqualified movement may have exceeded the first movement threshold. In other words, when the geolocation unit 208 may be powered on, the geolocation unit 208 may determine a charger geolocation where the charger 104 may have encountered an adverse situation.

[0047] Additionally, when the TCU 214 may be powered on, the processor 216 may cause the TCU 214 to transmit a first alert notification (or information / details associated with the adverse situation) to the server 202 and / or the user device 204 via the network 206. In some aspects, the first alert notification may include the charger's geolocation when the level of unqualified movement may have exceeded the first movement threshold or when the charger 104 may have encountered the adverse situation, information associated with the date and time when the level of unqualified movement may have exceeded the first movement threshold, and / or information associated with the level of unqualified movement measured by the detection unit 212 when the charger 104 may have encountered the adverse situation.

[0048] An operator associated with server 202 and / or user device 204 can view the first alert notification (and other similar alert notifications that may be transmitted by TCU 214 when charger 104 may be in a transport state) and, based on the first alert notification, understand the potential cause, location, and / or responsible party for the charger adverse condition. Figure 3 , an example view of a “shipping event log” or a log of multiple alert notifications (similar to the first alert notification described above) displayed on user device 204 is shown in FIG. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such a shipping event log can enable an operator associated with user device 204 to conveniently determine whether potential dents or scratches on charger 104 and / or damaged charger components may have been caused by the user / driver operating vehicle 102 and / or transportation company personnel responsible for shipping charger 104 from source location 106 to destination location 108.

[0049] In some aspects, when the charger 104 encounters an adverse situation during a transfer state (i.e., when the level of unqualified movement exceeds a first movement threshold), when the battery 210 may not have sufficient power / energy to power up or energize the TCU 214, the processor 216 may cause the battery 210 to provide power only to the geolocation unit 208. In this case, instead of transmitting details associated with the adverse situation to the server 202 and / or the user device 204 as described above, the processor 216 may store the details in the memory 218 (specifically, the adverse situation information database 220). In other words, in this case, the processor 216 may store in the memory 218 the charger's geolocation when the level of unqualified movement may have exceeded the first movement threshold or when the charger 104 may have encountered the adverse situation, information associated with the date and time when the level of unqualified movement may have exceeded the first movement threshold, and / or information associated with the level of unqualified movement measured by the detection unit 212 when the charger 104 may have encountered the adverse situation.

[0050] In addition or alternatively, the processor 216 can store details associated with the adverse situation described above in the memory 218 / adverse situation information database 220 even when the battery 210 may have sufficient power / energy to power on the TCU 214. In this case, the TCU 214 can transmit the details to the server 202 and / or the user device 204, and the processor 216 can store the details in the memory 218 in parallel.

[0051] When vehicle 102 arrives at destination location 108, charger 104 may be unloaded from vehicle 102. At this point, a customer at destination location 108 may transmit a shipping log request via a customer device (not shown) to server 202. In response to receiving the shipping log request from the customer device, server 202 may transmit a wake-up signal (e.g., a low-power radio message / signal) to charger 104 to "wake up" or "power up."

[0052] Processor 216 may obtain a wake-up signal from server 202 and may cause battery 210 to send a signal to TCU 214 and / or charger user interface (in response to obtaining the wake-up signal). Figure 4 The processor 216 may also, in response to energizing the TCU 214, cause the TCU 214 to transmit details associated with adverse circumstances encountered by the charger 104 during the transport state (which may be stored in the memory 218) to the server 202 and / or the user device 204. In additional or alternative aspects, in response to energizing the charger user interface 402, the processor 216 may cause the charger user interface 402 to display details associated with adverse circumstances encountered by the charger 104 during the transport state (which may be stored in the memory 218), such as Figure 4 As shown in view 404 .

[0053] The customer at destination location 108 can view the above details by accessing server 202 and / or by viewing the details on charger user interface 402. The customer can also visually inspect charger 104. If the customer identifies any dents, scratches, etc. on charger 104 due to adverse conditions that charger 104 may have encountered while in transit, the customer may decide not to accept or receive charger 104. In this case, the details associated with the adverse conditions stored in server 202 and / or memory 218 can help determine the party responsible for the dents, scratches, etc. on the charger (e.g., the operator associated with vehicle 102 or the shipping company), and can accordingly provide funding for charger repairs (or assist with insurance claims).

[0054] On the other hand, when the charger 104 may be in an acceptable condition, the customer at the destination location 108 may accept / receive the charger 104. At this point, the customer or operator associated with the charger 104 / vehicle 102 may set the charger state to the pre-installation state. Alternatively, at this point, the charger 104 itself may set its state to the pre-installation state.

[0055] When the charger state changes to the pre-installation state, the processor 216 can determine an optimal movement threshold (e.g., a second movement threshold) associated with the pre-installation state. In some aspects, the second movement threshold can be different from the first movement threshold. In other aspects, the second movement threshold can be the same as the first movement threshold.

[0056] Also in the pre-installation state, similar to the shipping state, the processor 216 can continuously (or at a predefined frequency) obtain the level of unacceptable movement associated with the charger 104 from the detection unit 212. The processor 216 can also compare the level of unacceptable movement to a second movement threshold, and when the processor 216 determines that the measured level of unacceptable movement is likely greater than the second movement threshold, one or more predefined actions can be performed. For example, in this case, in response to determining that the level of unacceptable movement is likely greater than the second movement threshold, the processor 216 can cause the battery 210 to provide power to the TCU 214 and the geolocation unit 208, and cause the TCU 214 to transmit a second alert notification to the server 202 and / or the user device 204 when the TCU 214 wakes up or is powered on. The second alert notification (or details / information associated with the adverse condition when the charger state may be a pre-installation state) may be similar to the first alert notification and may include, for example, the geolocation of the charger when the level of unacceptable movement may have exceeded the second movement threshold or when the charger 104 may have encountered the adverse condition, information associated with the date and time when the level of unacceptable movement may have exceeded the second movement threshold, and / or information associated with the level of unacceptable movement measured by the detection unit 212 when the charger 104 may have encountered the adverse condition.

[0057] The second alert notification may assist an operator associated with server 202 and / or user device 204 in determining whether a customer at destination location 108 may be mishandling charger 104 and causing dents, scratches, etc. to charger 104 .

[0058] While the charger 104 may not encounter adverse conditions during the pre-installation state, the customer or charger operator may plug the charger 104 into the utility power source, thereby installing the charger 104 at the destination location 108. At this point, the customer or charger operator may change the charger state to the installed state, or the charger 104 itself may change its state to the installed state when the charger 104 may be plugged in. In some aspects, while the charger 104 may be in the installed state, the charger components / units may be powered on or draw power from the utility power source.

[0059] When the charger state can be changed to the installed state, the processor 216 can cause the TCU 214 to transmit the information stored in the memory 218 / adverse situation information database 220 to the server 202 and / or the user device 204 for record keeping purposes. In other words, when the charger state can be changed to the installed state, the processor 216 can cause the TCU 214 to transmit details associated with the adverse situations (if any) encountered by the charger 104 during the transport state and the pre-installation state to the server 202 and / or the user device 204 for record keeping purposes.

[0060] Additionally, when the charger status may be an installed state, the processor 216 may cause the TCU 214 to transmit the real-time charger geolocation detected by the geolocation unit 208 , time and date information / timestamp, and information associated with the level of unqualified movement measured by the detection unit 212 to the server 202 and / or the user device 204 for record keeping purposes at a predefined frequency or on a regular cadence.

[0061] In another aspect, when the charger state may be the installed state, the processor 216 may continuously (or at a predefined frequency) monitor the power supply from the utility power source to the charger 104. In an exemplary aspect, when the processor 216 determines that the power supply to the charger 104 may be interrupted in the installed state, the processor 216 may perform one or more predefined actions. As an example, when the power supply to the charger 104 may be interrupted, the processor 216 may cause the battery 210 to provide power to the TCU 214. In response to powering on the TCU 214, the processor 216 may cause the TCU 214 to transmit a power outage notification to the server 202 and / or the user device 204, so that the operator / customer associated with the server 202 / user device 204 can be aware that the power supply to the charger 104 may have been interrupted.

[0062] As another example, when power to the charger 104 may be interrupted, the processor 216 may cause the battery 210 to provide power to the TCU 214 and the geolocation unit 208. The processor 216 may also determine an optimal movement threshold (e.g., a third movement threshold) associated with the installed state and determine whether the level of unacceptable movement measured by the detection unit 212 exceeds the third movement threshold. In some aspects, when the charger 104 encounters an adverse situation in the installed state, the level of unacceptable movement may exceed the third movement threshold. In an exemplary aspect, the third movement threshold may be different from the first and second movement thresholds described above.

[0063] In response to determining that the level of unqualified movement may have exceeded the third movement threshold, the processor 216 may cause the TCU 214 to transmit to the server 202 and / or the user device 204 the charger's geolocation when the level of unqualified movement may have exceeded the third movement threshold, time and date information when the level of unqualified movement may have exceeded the third movement threshold, information associated with the level of unqualified movement, etc. In an additional aspect, in this case, the processor 216 may cause the TCU 214 to transmit information associated with the type of vehicle / load (e.g., vehicle 114) that may have been connected to the charger 104 before or after the event (i.e., adverse condition) that may have caused the level of unqualified movement to exceed the third movement threshold. Such information may help operators associated with the server 202 and / or the user device 204 determine a party that may be responsible for an adverse condition associated with the charger 104 in an installed state.

[0064] In some aspects, when power to the charger 104 may not be interrupted, the steps of comparing the level of unqualified movement to the third movement threshold and performing a predefined action when the unqualified movement exceeds the third movement threshold (as described above) may also be performed by the processor 216. In other words, in some aspects, the processor 216 may perform the steps of comparing and performing the predefined action regardless of whether power to the charger 104 is interrupted.

[0065] In some aspects, the first, second, and third movement thresholds described above can be adjusted or modified by processor 216 based on a variety of parameters. For example, processor 216 can adjust the first movement threshold based on the type of charger, the type of packaging placed on charger 104 before charger 104 can be loaded onto vehicle 102, the type of roads on road network 110 (e.g., smooth, bumpy, etc.), the energy level stored in battery 210, and the like. Similarly, processor 216 can adjust the second and third movement thresholds based on ambient temperature levels, ambient humidity levels, destination location 108 or charger geolocation, battery energy levels, and the like. As an example, the second and / or third movement thresholds can have higher values when ambient humidity levels are likely to be higher. In some aspects, processor 216 can determine the ambient humidity level via charger user interface 402. In other aspects, processor 216 can determine the ambient humidity level and / or temperature level based on input received from server 202.

[0066] In another aspect, processor 216 may adjust the third movement threshold based on the steps in the electric vehicle (EV) charging process performed using charger 104, the charger load or the load attached to charger 104, the wear level of the charger over time (e.g., wear and tear caused by frequent plugging / unplugging of the charger connector under frequent use), user input, time and date information, etc. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, there are known shock levels or disqualified movements for steps / items associated with the EV charging process (such as plugging / unplugging a charging cable / connector, interacting with charger user interface 402, etc.). When charger 104 is in an installed state, processor 216 uses these known shock levels to calibrate or adjust the third movement threshold. For example, severing a charging cable may require a certain level of force that may not be consistent with normal operational measurements / known shock levels. In such cases, processor 216 may identify such instances as "adverse situations" associated with charger 104 and, in response to identifying such instances, may execute one or more of the predefined actions described above. The party / user responsible for such instances (e.g., theft, vandalism, misuse, etc.) may be warned and / or prohibited from future use of charger 104. Similarly, depending on the step in the EV charging process performed on the charger 104 (removing the cord, reinserting it, etc.), the processor 216 can accordingly compare the level of shock / unacceptable movement to the third movement threshold to report any potential adverse conditions associated with the charger 104. In some aspects, the customer can also calibrate the detection unit 212 / accelerometer via recorded repetitive events of normal operation and verify that the accelerometer operation is working properly over time.

[0067] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art from the foregoing description, the charger 104 facilitates determining potential causes of charger failures or dents during different states of charger installation / operation (e.g., shipping state, pre-installation state, installed state, maintenance state, etc.). Furthermore, different levels or types of adverse situations have different characteristics of unacceptable charger movement or shock levels measured by the detection unit 212 / accelerometer. An operator associated with the server 202 and / or user device 204 can determine the potential type of adverse situation encountered by the charger 104 by reviewing (the characteristics of) the corresponding unacceptable charger movement or shock levels measured by the detection unit 212 / accelerometer. This can also help the operator identify the potential cause of the adverse situation and plan remedial actions to prevent similar adverse situations from occurring in the future.

[0068] Figure 5 A flow chart depicts an example method 500 for monitoring an electric vehicle charger 104 according to the present disclosure. Figure 5The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than shown or described herein, and may include the steps in an order different from the order described in the example embodiments below.

[0069] Method 500 begins at step 502. At step 504, method 500 may include determining, by processor 216 (from the shipping state, the pre-installation state, and the installed state), a charger state (or system installation state) that charger 104 may be in. At step 506, method 500 may include identifying, by processor 216, an optimal movement threshold from among the first movement threshold, the second movement threshold, and the third movement threshold based on the determined charger state.

[0070] At step 508, the method 500 may include determining, by the processor 216, that the level of unqualified movement associated with the charger 104 measured by the detection unit 212 may be greater than the identified optimal movement threshold. At step 510, the method 500 may include executing, by the processor 216, a predefined action in response to determining that the level of unqualified movement may be greater than the optimal movement threshold. Figure 2 Examples of predefined actions performed by the processor 216 are described.

[0071] At step 512 , the method 500 may stop.

[0072] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings which form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It will be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the embodiment being described may include particular features, structures, or characteristics, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when features, structures, or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0073] In addition, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be implemented in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to implement one or more of the systems and procedures described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that have different names but the same function.

[0074] It should also be understood that the word "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the word "example" used herein indicates one of several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the particular example being described.

[0075] Computer-readable media (also known as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0076] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, and the like described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, and the like, have been described as occurring according to a particular ordered sequence, such processes can be practiced with the described steps performed in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps can be performed simultaneously, other steps can be added, or certain steps described herein can be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of the processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0077] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but rather with reference to the appended claims and the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and variation.

[0078] Unless otherwise expressly indicated to the contrary in this document, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meaning as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless a claim states an express limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood otherwise within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "might", "can" or "may" is generally intended to express that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements and / or steps. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require each feature, element and / or step in any way.

[0079] According to an embodiment, the processor is further configured to modify the third movement threshold based on at least one of: a step in an electric vehicle charging process performed using the system, system load, ambient temperature level, ambient humidity level, system wear level over time, user input, system geolocation, and time and date information.

[0080] According to the present invention, a method includes: determining, by a processor, a system installation state from a plurality of system installation states associated with the system; identifying, by the processor, an optimal movement threshold from a plurality of movement thresholds associated with the plurality of system installation states based on the system installation state; determining, by the processor, that a level of unqualified movement associated with the system measured by a detection unit is greater than the optimal movement threshold; and performing, by the processor, a predefined action in response to determining that the level of unqualified movement is greater than the optimal movement threshold.

[0081] In one aspect of the invention, the system is an electric vehicle charger.

[0082] In one aspect of the invention, the detection unit is an accelerometer.

[0083] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: determine a system installation state from a plurality of system installation states associated with the system; identify an optimal movement threshold from a plurality of movement thresholds associated with the plurality of system installation states based on the system installation state; determine that a level of unqualified movement associated with the system measured by a detection unit is greater than the optimal movement threshold; and perform a predefined action in response to determining that the level of unqualified movement is greater than the optimal movement threshold.

Claims

1. A system comprising: a detection unit configured to measure a level of unacceptable movement associated with the system; as well as a processor communicatively coupled to the detection unit, wherein the processor is configured to: determining a system installation state from a plurality of system installation states; identifying an optimal movement threshold value from a plurality of movement threshold values associated with the plurality of system installation states based on the system installation state; determining that the level of the unqualified moves is greater than the optimal move threshold; as well as A predefined action is performed in response to determining that the level of non-conforming moves is greater than the optimal move threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is an electric vehicle charger. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is an accelerometer.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a geolocation unit configured to detect real-time system geolocation; a telematics control unit configured to transmit signals or data to one or more external devices; a memory configured to store system information; as well as A battery is configured to store electricity and provide power to the telematics control unit and the geo-location unit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of system installation states include a shipping state, a pre-installation state, and an installed state.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein when the system installation state is the transport state, the optimal movement threshold is a first movement threshold, and wherein the predefined action comprises: causing the battery to provide power to the telematics control unit and the geolocation unit when the level of the unqualified movement is greater than the first movement threshold; as well as causing the telematics control unit to transmit a first alert notification to a server or a user device, wherein the first alert notification includes one or more of: a system geolocation when the level of unqualified movement exceeds the first movement threshold, time and date information when the level of unqualified movement exceeds the first movement threshold, and information associated with the level of unqualified movement.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein when the system installation state is the transport state, the optimal movement threshold is a first movement threshold, and wherein the predefined action comprises: causing the battery to provide power to the geolocation unit when the level of the unqualified movement is greater than the first movement threshold; as well as One or more of the following is stored in the memory: the system geolocation when the level of the unqualified movement exceeds the first movement threshold, time and date information when the level of the unqualified movement exceeds the first movement threshold, and information associated with the level of the unqualified movement.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to: Get a wake-up signal from the server; causing the battery to provide power to at least one of the telematics control unit or a system user interface in response to obtaining the wake-up signal; and causing the telematics control unit to transmit information stored in the memory to a user device or the system user interface for displaying the information stored in the memory, wherein the information stored in the memory includes one or more of: the system geolocation, the time and date information, and the information associated with the level of the unqualified movement. 9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the telematics control unit to transmit the information stored in the memory to the server when the system installation state is changed to the installed state.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein when the system installation state is the pre-installation state, the optimal movement threshold is a second movement threshold, and wherein the predefined action comprises: causing the battery to provide power to the telematics control unit and the geolocation unit when the level of the unqualified movement is greater than the second movement threshold; as well as causing the telematics control unit to transmit a second alert notification to a server or a user device, wherein the second alert notification includes one or more of: a system geolocation when the level of unqualified movement exceeds the second movement threshold, time and date information when the level of unqualified movement exceeds the second movement threshold, and information associated with the level of unqualified movement.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein when the system installation state is the installed state, the optimal movement threshold is a third movement threshold.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to, when the system installation state is the installed state, cause the telematics control unit to transmit to a server at a predefined frequency one or more of: the real-time system geolocation detected by the geolocation unit, time and date information, and information associated with the level of the unqualified movement measured by the detection unit.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining that power supply to the system is interrupted when the system installation state is the installed state; and The predefined action is performed in response to determining that the power supply to the system is interrupted.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the predefined actions include: causing the battery to provide power to the telematics control unit and the geolocation unit; as well as causing the telematics control unit to transmit one or more of: the geolocation of the system when the level of unqualified movement exceeded the third movement threshold, time and date information when the level of unqualified movement exceeded the third movement threshold, information related to the level of unqualified movement, and the type of vehicle connected to the system before or after the event when the level of unqualified movement exceeded the third movement threshold.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to: causing the battery to provide power to the telematics control unit in response to determining that the power supply to the system is interrupted; and The telematics control unit is caused to transmit a power outage notification to a server.

Images