Methods, systems and apparatus for authorizing operation of an electric vehicle being charged at a charging station

Abstract

A method for authorizing the operation of an electric vehicle within certain limits defined with respect to a charging station (22, 23-25) at which the electric vehicle is charged, the method comprising: - determining on a computer whether predefined criteria relating to the state of charge (16, 2-4) of the electric vehicle are met; and - Communicating a virtual key for the electric vehicle when it is determined that the predetermined criteria are met, the virtual key authorizing the operation of the electric vehicle within the limits defined with respect to the charging station and enabling it to operate in a limited operating mode defining conditions for operating the vehicle.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The technical field relates generally to vehicles and, more particularly, to methods, systems and apparatus for authorizing operation of an electric vehicle being charged at a charging station when the owner is not present. background

[0002] Electric vehicles (EVs), including hybrid electric vehicles, have recently become increasingly popular. These electric vehicles require charging when their battery level becomes low. Although many people charge their electric vehicles at home, they also often use shared charging stations to charge their electric vehicles. Unfortunately, such charging stations are not readily available. Furthermore, even when shared charging stations are available, in many cases they cannot meet demand. The number of electric vehicles wanting to use a station at any given time is greater than the number of available stations.

[0003] Additionally, because it can take a significant amount of time (e.g., 3 hours or more for some electric vehicles) to fully charge an electric vehicle, the owner will often leave while the vehicle is charging and may not be present once the electric vehicle is fully charged. Thus, the vehicle may use the station significantly longer than necessary. This can be frustrating for others waiting to charge their electric vehicles.

[0004] It would be ideal if the owner using the charging station could simply leave their key or key fob in the electric vehicle while it is charging, so that once it is fully charged, anyone waiting could move it and use the charging station. However, this is impractical for a number of reasons. For example, the electric vehicle could be moved before it is fully charged, stolen, etc. Therefore, most owners are reluctant to do this.

[0005] DE 10 2008 055 881 A1 relates to a method which consists in functionally connecting a charging contact of a vehicle to a charging contact of a charging station at a charging point in order to electrically charge the vehicle, wherein the vehicle starts at any starting point in a transfer area. The charging contact of the charging point is located between the vehicle and a charging station, wherein the charging point is controlled by the vehicle. Direct communication and data exchange between the vehicle and the charging point take place via a communication interface using radio frequency identification.

[0006] DE 10 2010 032 523 A1 relates to a method for the tamper-proof charging of an electric vehicle via a charging station operator's charging station after successful verification of authorization data of the electric vehicle by a charging authorization verification unit of the charging station.

[0007] Against the background of this prior art, the object of the present disclosure is to provide methods, systems, and a device, each suitable for enriching the prior art and, in particular, for allowing someone other than the owner of an electric vehicle to operate the vehicle when the owner is not present. This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. The subordinate claims and the subclaims each contain optional developments of the disclosure. Other desirable features and characteristics of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the preceding technical field and background. Summary

[0008] According to one embodiment, a method for authorizing operation of an electric vehicle having the features of claim 1 is provided.

[0009] In another embodiment, a system having the features of claim 7 is provided.

[0010] In another embodiment, a computer having the features of claim 8 associated with a charging station is provided.

[0011] In another embodiment, an electric vehicle having the features of claim 9 is provided. Description of the drawings

[0012] The exemplary embodiments are described hereinafter in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein: Fig. 1 is an electric vehicle charging system according to some of the disclosed embodiments. Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for authorizing operation of an electric vehicle being charged at a charging station in accordance with some of the disclosed embodiments. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for authorizing operation of an electric vehicle being charged at a charging station according to an exemplary implementation of some of the disclosed embodiments. Detailed description

[0013] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. The disclosed embodiments are merely examples that may be embodied in various and alternative forms and combinations thereof. The following detailed description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the applications and uses. The word "exemplary" is used exclusively herein to mean "to serve as an example, act, or illustration." Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily meant to be preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. As used herein, for example, "exemplary" or similar expressions refer broadly to embodiments that serve as an illustration, specimen, model, or sample.Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any representation or employed theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary, or subsequent detailed description. overview

[0014] Before describing some of the disclosed embodiments, it should be noted that the disclosed embodiments generally relate to methods, systems, and apparatus that may enable an electric vehicle charging at a charging station to operate in a limited mode of operation that defines one or more restrictions on the operation of the vehicle. The disclosed embodiments may be useful, for example, when the owner of an electric vehicle leaves their electric vehicle while charging at a charging station and another user wants access to the charging station, but there is no space there and the electric vehicle must be moved. The virtual key allows another person to operate the electric vehicle when the owner is not present, without possession of an authorized key or key fob.As used herein, the term “owner” of the vehicle may refer to someone else designated by the owner of the vehicle to have permission to exercise control of the vehicle.

[0015] The methods, systems and apparatus are now described below with reference to the Fig. 1-3 explained.

[0016] Fig. 1 is an electric vehicle charging system 100 according to some of the disclosed embodiments. The electric vehicle charging system 100 includes a vehicle charging station 120, a computer 140 (e.g., a computer associated with a charging station authority), and a communications network 130 (e.g., the Internet and other peripheral communications networks) that couples the computer 140 to the vehicle charging station 120. Fig. 1 also illustrates electric vehicles 110, wherein electric vehicle 110-1 is currently connected and using vehicle charging station 120, and wherein electric vehicles 110-2, 110-3 are other vehicles that are not connected and are currently waiting to use vehicle charging station 120. As used herein, the term electric vehicle encompasses any type of vehicle capable of being charged at a vehicle charging station, including pure electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.

[0017] As is known in the art, the electric vehicle 110-1, the vehicle charging station 120, and the computer 140 may include known computer hardware that includes instructions that perform various steps described herein.

[0018] The computer hardware may include at least one computer processor 112, 122, 142 (e.g., having at least one central processing unit (CPU)) in communication with a tangible, non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium 114, 124, 144 (e.g., computer memory). The term processor-readable storage medium and variants thereof, as used in the specification and claims, refer to any known, non-transitory computer storage media, including any known forms of computer-usable or processor-readable media. These components are well known in the art and are not described in detail herein.

[0019] The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium 114, 124, 144 may be any type of storage technology that stores instructions 116, 126, 146 such that, when executed by the processor 112, 122, 142, they cause the processor 112, 122, 142 to perform various actions as described herein. The instructions 116, 126, 146 may be embodied in the form of one or more programs or applications stored in the medium in one or more modules.

[0020] The computer hardware may also include long-range wireless communication interface(s) (e.g., cellular interfaces), short-range wireless communication interface(s) (e.g., Bluetooth and / or wireless local area network (WLAN) interface(s)), GPS receiver(s), antenna(s), ports (e.g., USB ports), input / output devices, displays, and audio systems, etc., all of which may be coupled via one or more BUS lines to collectively perform any of the functionalities described herein. The interfaces enable the computer processor to communicate information with a network 130, either wirelessly or using wired communication links. Each wireless interface includes elements such as a transceiver, a computer-readable medium, processor(s), etc. These components are all known in the art and are not described in detail herein.

[0021] Network 130 may include a wide area network, such as one or more of a cellular telephone network, the Internet, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), personal area networks (PANs), and other communications networks. Communications between electric vehicle 110-1, vehicle charging station 120, and computer 140 may traverse communications network 130.The computer 140 may be a backend server (or multiple servers) that includes computer hardware for implementing the computer 130, which may provide information / content that may then be communicated over a network 130, such as the Internet, to form communication between infrastructure (not shown), the electric vehicle 110-1, and the vehicle charging station 120.

[0022] In some embodiments, computer 140 and communications network 130 may be implemented within vehicle charging station 120. In other embodiments, computer 140 and communications network 130 are located external to vehicle charging station 120, and computer 140 communicates with vehicle charging station 120 using any of the known technologies. Thus, it should be appreciated that computer 140 may be implemented, for example, with charging station 120 or with a remote computer or server associated with charging station 120, etc.

[0023] Additionally, although not in Fig. 1, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the communications network 130 may include (or alternatively be coupled to) a communications infrastructure (not shown) that enables the electric vehicle 110-1, the vehicle charging station 120, and the computer 140 to communicate information with the communications network 130. For example, the communications infrastructure (not shown) enables a network access device (NAD) of the electric vehicle 110-1 to communicate with the external network and the remotely located computer 140 via wireless communications link(s). The NAD may include at least one communications interface and at least one antenna, and in many cases, may have a plurality of different communications interfaces.These communication interfaces may include one or more wireless communication interfaces that enable the onboard NAD to communicate with the communication infrastructure that is part of or coupled to the communication network 130. The wireless communication interfaces included within the onboard NAD may be implemented using any of the known wireless communication technologies. The communication infrastructure may generally be any public or private access point that provides an entry / exit point for the NAD to communicate with an external communication network 130 via wireless communication link(s). Depending on the implementation, the communication infrastructure may be a cellular base station, a WLAN access point, a satellite, etc., in communication with the computer 140 via the network 130.Thus, the communications infrastructure may include, for example, long-range communications nodes (e.g., third-generation (3G) or fourth-generation (4G) cellular-based stations or communications satellites) and short-range communications nodes (e.g., WLAN access points) communicatively coupled to the communications network 130. Communications between the NAD and the short-range communications nodes are typically facilitated using IEEE 802.x or Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, or related or similar standards.

[0024] In one embodiment, the vehicle charging station 120 may be part of a network of vehicle charging stations affiliated with a common charging station authority, and the owner of the electric vehicle 110 and the charging station authority may enter into an agreement authorizing the charging stations to which the charging station 120 is affiliated to communicate information related to virtual keys. For example, in one embodiment, the owner of the electric vehicle 110 and the charging station authority may enter into an agreement authorizing the charging station 120 to communicate a virtual key to the electric vehicle 110 (e.g., if one or more predetermined criteria are established to be met).

[0025] When the electric vehicle 110 needs to be charged, the vehicle charging station 120 is coupled to an electric vehicle 110 via a charging connection 115, which charges the electric vehicle 110.

[0026] In the non-limiting version, which is Fig. 1, the computer 140 may communicate a virtual key with the vehicle charging station 120 via the communication network 130, and the vehicle charging station 120 may communicate the virtual key with the electric vehicle 110. However, it should be noted that the virtual key may communicate with the electric vehicle 110 not only through the vehicle charging station 120, but also through any other computer (including the computer 140) via any other communication connection (e.g., via a wireless communication connection, such as a cellular communication connection, a WLAN communication connection, a Bluetooth communication connection, etc.). As described below with reference to Fig. 2, the virtual key enables the electric vehicle 110 to be "operated" in a limited operating mode without a physical key or key fob being presented to the electric vehicle 110, and even when the owner of the vehicle is not present. In this context, the term "operated" may mean, for example, access to turn on and / or move.

[0027] Further details regarding the disclosed embodiments will now be given below with reference to the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 described.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method 200 for authorizing operation of an electric vehicle being charged at a charging station, according to some of the disclosed embodiments. The method of Fig. 2 is made with reference to Fig. 1. As a preliminary matter, it should be understood that steps of method 200 are not necessarily presented in any particular order, and that performance of some or all of the steps in an alternative order is possible and contemplated. The steps have been presented in the presented order for ease of description and illustration. Further, other steps may be added, omitted, and / or performed concurrently without departing from the protection of the appended claims. It should also be understood that the illustrated method 200 may be terminated at any time. In certain embodiments, some or all of the steps of this method and / or substantially equivalent steps may be performed by executing processor-readable instructions, for example, stored or embodied on a processor-readable medium.For example, references to processor-executable functions of the present disclosure refer to any one or more cooperating computer components that execute instructions provided in the form of an algorithm embodied on a processor-readable medium, such as memory, associated with the processor of an onboard computer system (not shown) of the electric vehicle, the vehicle charging station 120, and / or the computer 140.

[0029] The method 200 begins with step 210, in which the charging station 120 and the electric vehicle 110 mutually authenticate each other, meaning that the charging station 120 authenticates the electric vehicle 110 and the electric vehicle 110 authenticates the charging station 120. The trigger for this authentication process may be, for example, when the electric vehicle 110 is connected to the charging station 120 or any other trigger event (e.g., manually by a command from the owner or automatically by a processor in the charging station in response to an activation event).

[0030] As is known to those skilled in the art, authentication involves verifying the validity of at least one type of identification. According to method 200, any known means of mutual authentication may be performed through step 210.

[0031] In one embodiment, digital certificates are exchanged to perform authentication. As is known in the art, a digital certificate (also known as a public key certificate) is an electronic document that uses a digital signature to bind a public key to an identity. In one embodiment, the digital certificates may be issued and verified by a certificate authority (CA) as part of a public key infrastructure. For example, in one embodiment, the electric vehicle 110 may be authorized with the charging station 120 via a certificate given to the electric vehicle 110 when the owner has signed an agreement with the charging station authority.Through the certificate, the charging station 120 verifies that the owner of the vehicle has authorized the electric vehicle 110 to issue a virtual key when predefined criteria have been met so that the electric vehicle 110 can be operated in a limited operating mode.

[0032] In another embodiment, the electric vehicle 110 authenticates the charging station 120 using any known type of cryptographic protocol used to authenticate things that seek to communicate securely. Such authentication protocols may include exchanging other types of identifiers such as passwords, secret keys, or any other types of shared secrets commonly used in authentication techniques, etc.

[0033] In another embodiment, the electric vehicle 110 authenticates the charging station 120. In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 110 authenticates the charging station 120 via an input communicated with the charging station 120. The input may be an input from a user interface of an on-board computer integrated as part of the vehicle, a voice command received by the on-board computer, an input to a key fob or wireless communication device (e.g., smartphone), an input to a remote computer communicatively coupled to the charging station 120, etc.

[0034] Although not in Fig. 2, in some embodiments, the authentication process (at step 210) may include or be followed by an authorization process. Furthermore, in the event that the charging station 120 and the electric vehicle 110 are unable to mutually authenticate each other, the method 200 may either end or return to 210 until the charging station 120 and the electric vehicle 110 are able to mutually authenticate each other (not in Fig. 2 shown).

[0035] At step 220, a computer determines whether one or more predefined criteria related to the electric vehicle 110 are met. The computer may be implemented anywhere, for example, including on or within the charging station 120 or on any other computer associated with the charging station 120 and communicatively coupled to the charging station 120, such as a remote server or another computer.

[0036] The predefined criteria relating to the electric vehicle 110 may include that authorization has been obtained (and optionally that the authorization is still valid) to operate the electric vehicle 110 (e.g., access and move it) when connected to the charging station 120. In some embodiments, the predefined criteria may relate to the state of charge of the electric vehicle 110. For example, the predefined criteria relating to the state of charge of the electric vehicle 110 may relate to the electric vehicle 110 being within a certain percentage of being fully charged (e.g.,a percentage between 50% and 100%) and / or that the electric vehicle 110 is connected to the charging station 120 for a period of time greater than or equal to a predefined period of time and / or that the electric vehicle 110 has not been disconnected from the charging station 120 for a period of time greater than or equal to a predetermined period of time. In some embodiments, the predetermined criteria may also relate to a recent movement state of the electric vehicle 110 after authentication.For example, the predefined criteria may determine that the electric vehicle 110 has not been moved in a certain time period after authentication (or may determine that the electric vehicle 110 has not yet been moved a certain number of times in a certain time period after authentication) and / or may determine that the electric vehicle 110 has not yet been moved outside a certain area after authentication (e.g., as determined by a GPS or other means).

[0037] If one or more of the predetermined criteria are not met, a virtual key is not communicated to the electric vehicle 110 and the method 200 returns to step 220 (or alternatively to step 210 for re-authentication).

[0038] If the one or more predefined criteria are determined to be met, the method 200 proceeds to step 230. At step 230, a virtual key is communicated to the electric vehicle 110. In this regard, it is noted that the electric vehicle 110 includes a built-in network access device (NAD) communicatively coupled to an on-board computer system of the electric vehicle 110, and the built-in NAD may receive the virtual key and communicate it to the on-board computer system. The built-in NAD enables the electric vehicle 110 to communicate information over the air using one or more wireless communication links.The built-in NAD enables the on-board computing system of the electric vehicle 110 to exchange information over a wide area network 130, such as the Internet, and to communicate with external networks and infrastructure such as the computer 140, allowing them to communicate and exchange information with each other. The built-in NAD and the on-board computing system may be communicatively coupled via any communication link, including, but not limited to, a wired communication link such as a bus or USB connection, or a wireless communication link such as a Bluetooth communication link or Wi-Fi communication link, etc. In one embodiment, the on-board computing system may be part of an automotive head unit (AHU). Virtual key

[0039] The virtual key enables the electric vehicle 110 to operate in a limited operating mode that defines one or more conditions or limitations on operating the vehicle or related to the operation of the vehicle. As used herein, the term "operate" may mean enabling or permitting the electric vehicle to be accessed (e.g., unlock and open the door), started (or started), and / or moved. The conditions or limitations defined by the limited operating mode may vary depending on the implementation. In general terms, the conditions and limitations may specify any combination of: ▪ Who is authorized or empowered to operate the electric vehicle 110. For example, only certain authorized individuals who are in possession of a credential that allows them to operate the electric vehicle during the limited operation mode. For example, any individual attempting to operate the electric vehicle 110 is required to present an authentication credential. The authentication credential may be any known type of credential that can be entered at the vehicle or charging station, such as a biometric credential, a password or passcode, a barcode, an RFID tag, a key, or a shared secret communicated by a computer or wireless communication device (e.g., a smartphone or key fob), etc. ▪ When the electric vehicle 110 is allowed to operate or for how long the electric vehicle 110 is allowed to operate after the virtual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle 110. For example, a maximum time the electric vehicle 110 is allowed to be moved after the virtual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle 110. In some embodiments, it is further explained that the virtual key communicated to the electric vehicle 110 is valid for a period of time after it has been communicated to the vehicle 110. In one embodiment, the key is only valid for a predetermined period of time and expires when the predetermined time has elapsed (e.g., expires within a certain period of time after the virtual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle 110). ▪ Conditions that must be met before the electric vehicle 110 is allowed to operate after the virtual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle 110. ▪ Locations where the electric vehicle 110 is permitted to operate after the virtual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle 110 (e.g., a geographic area (specified by GPS or other coordinates) within the vicinity of the charging station and / or a geographic area or boundaries in which the electric vehicle 110 is permitted to move during the limited operation mode). ▪ A maximum distance from the charging station 120 that the electric vehicle 110 is allowed to move (e.g., a certain number of meters that the electric vehicle 110 can move away from the charging station during the limited operation mode). ▪ A maximum speed or acceleration at which the electric vehicle 110 is permitted to operate during the limited operation mode.

[0040] After the virtual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle 110, the method 200 proceeds to step 240, where the electric vehicle 110 is permitted to operate in the limited operating mode according to any combination of the conditions and limitations defined by the limited operating mode. In one embodiment, after receiving the virtual key, the electric vehicle 110-1 is permitted to be operated by any authorized operator or driver who has a credential permitting them to operate the electric vehicle 110-1.In another embodiment, after receiving the virtual key, the electric vehicle 110-1 is permitted to operate autonomously via an autonomous vehicle system that performs certain tasks required to move the vehicle 110-1 without a driver by automatically moving and controlling the vehicle along an intended trajectory path. The electric vehicle 110-1 includes an onboard computer (e.g., a telematics unit) configured to receive a command to move or park the electric vehicle 110-1 within a parking area proximate the vehicle charging station 120. The command may include information specifying a parking space allocation indicating an allocated parking space within the parking area.The vehicle may include an autonomous vehicle control system configured to control the vehicle in moving the vehicle to the assigned parking space within the parking area without a human operator. In one embodiment, the autonomous vehicle system may perform techniques described, for example, in United States patent application US 2015 / 0 149 265 A1, filed November 27, 2013, entitled "CONTROLLED PARKING OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES," and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

[0041] In one embodiment, when the electric vehicle 110-1 is operated, an alarm message or messages may be communicated to a computer accessible by the owner to notify the owner that the vehicle has been operated. Depending on the owner's preferences, the alarm message may be communicated to the owner via email, text or short message service (SMS), or via an automated phone call, for example, using a pre-recorded message. This alarm message may include other information, such as the current location and / or condition of the vehicle (moving, stationary, number of occupants, etc.), the state of charge of the vehicle's batteries, etc.

[0042] In another embodiment, prior to allowing the electric vehicle 110-1 to be operated at step 240, an alarm message or messages may be communicated to a computer accessible to the owner to notify that the virtual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle 110-1 and to request an authorization message from the owner allowing the vehicle to be operated using the virtual key.

[0043] If someone intends to operate the electric vehicle 110 in a manner that does not comply with the conditions or limitations defined by the limited operating mode specified in the virtual key, the electric vehicle 110 will not operate. In other words, the virtual key will no longer cooperate with the electric vehicle 110 if someone intends to operate the electric vehicle 110 outside the conditions and limitations defined by the limited operating mode specified in the virtual key. For example, if a charging station attendant (or other individual) intends to drive the electric vehicle 110 at greater than the maximum speed or acceleration or further than the maximum distance from the charging station 120, the vehicle 110 will cease to operate.In another example, if a charging station attendant (or other individual) intends to drive the electric vehicle 110 to locations outside of those where the electric vehicle 110 is permitted to operate (locations outside of certain geographic boundaries defined with respect to the charging station 120), the vehicle 110 will not operate. In another example, if a person intends to drive the electric vehicle 110 but lacks the correct credentials or authorizations required for permission to drive the vehicle (as specified by the virtual key), the vehicle 110 will cease to operate. Depending on the implementation, any combination of conditions or restrictions may be required as desired.

[0044] At step 250, a processor on the electric vehicle 110 determines whether the virtual key has expired and / or is still valid. If the processor determines that the virtual key has not expired and / or is still valid, the method loops back to step 240. Conversely, if the processor determines that the virtual key has expired or is invalid, the method continues to step 260, where the virtual key is discarded (e.g., destroyed, erased, or otherwise rendered unusable) to prevent the electric vehicle 110 from continuing to operate in the limited mode of operation.

[0045] To provide an exemplary embodiment of the method 200 of Fig. 2, a non-limiting example is given with reference to Fig. 3 provided.

[0046] Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method 300 for authorizing operation of an electric vehicle being charged at a charging station, according to an exemplary implementation of some of the disclosed embodiments.

[0047] The method 300 begins when the electric vehicle 110 is connected to the charging station 120 and, at step 310, the charging station mutually authenticates itself with the electric vehicle 110.

[0048] At step 320, a computer determines (as described in connection with step 220 of the Fig. 2), whether the electric vehicle 110 is in a certain percentage range of full charging (e.g., a percentage range between 50% and 100%).

[0049] If the computer determines that the electric vehicle 110 is not within a certain percentage of full charge, the method 300 returns to step 320 (or alternatively, back to step 310 (not shown)). If the computer determines that the electric vehicle 110 is within a certain percentage of full charge, the method 300 continues to step 330. Although in Fig. 3, in some implementations of step 320, the computer may also determine that other predefined criteria relating to the electric vehicle 110 are met before proceeding to step 330.

[0050] At step 330, a virtual key is communicated to the electric vehicle 110. As noted above, the virtual key enables the electric vehicle 110 to be operated in a limited mode of operation (e.g., accessed, started, and / or moved), which in the particular embodiment described in Fig. 3, means that the electric vehicle 110 is enabled to operate within limited geographical boundaries defined by the virtual key. In other words, the virtual key may specify a geographical region or area or boundaries with respect to the charging station 120 (e.g., within the vicinity of the charging station 120) where the electric vehicle 110 is enabled to operate after the visual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle 110. In one embodiment, these geographical boundaries may be specified as a set of GPS coordinates.In other implementations, these geographic boundaries may be specified by a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), or by a received power level of a signal communicated by the charging station 120 or another device within the vicinity of the charging station 120 and received by a communication device incorporated in the electric vehicle 110-1. The signal may be any type of wireless communication signal, including, for example, a Wi-Fi signal, a Bluetooth signal, a near-infrared (IR) signal, an RFID signal, etc.Thus, if the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), or the received power level of the signal received by the communication device included in the electric vehicle 110-1, is less than a threshold, then it can be assumed that the electric vehicle 110-1 is outside the limited geographical boundaries defined by the virtual key, and the electric vehicle 110-1 is not permitted to operate. If the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), or the received power level of the signal received by the communication device located within the electric vehicle 110-1, is greater than the threshold, then it can be assumed that the electric vehicle 110-1 is within the limited geographical boundaries defined by the virtual key, and the electric vehicle 110-1 is permitted to operate.

[0051] In one embodiment, the electric vehicle may include a navigation system that includes a global positioning system (GPS) device for determining a global position of the vehicle and other information, such as direction, speed, acceleration, etc. The GPS device includes a processor and one or more GPS receivers that receive GPS radio signals via an antenna. If someone intends to move the electric vehicle 110 outside the limited geographical boundaries defined by the virtual key, the electric vehicle 110 will not function. In other words, the virtual key will not continue to work with the electric vehicle 110 if someone intends to move the electric vehicle 110 outside the limited geographical boundaries defined by the virtual key.In some embodiments, the virtual key communicated to the electric vehicle 110 may be valid indefinitely, but in other embodiments, the individual key is only valid under certain conditions (e.g., for a certain period of time or until another condition occurs). In one embodiment, the virtual key communicated to the electric vehicle 110-1 is only valid for a predetermined period of time and expires when the predetermined time has elapsed (e.g., expires within a certain period of time after the virtual key was communicated to the electric vehicle 110-1). In another embodiment, the virtual key communicated to the electric vehicle 110-1 is only valid during certain times of the day (e.g.,when a known attendant is working) and is invalid during other times of day during which the virtual key cannot be used to operate the electric vehicle 110-1 in a limited operating mode that defines the conditions on the vehicle being operated.

[0052] Although in Fig. 3, in some embodiments of step 330, the virtual key may also define other conditions or restrictions for operating the vehicle or relating to the operation of the vehicle, but for the sake of simplicity, these are not included in Fig. 3 shown.

[0053] After the virtual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle 110, the method 300 proceeds to step 340, where the electric vehicle 110 is permitted to operate within limited geographic boundaries defined by the virtual key. During this time, at step 350, a processor of the electric vehicle 110 determines whether the virtual key has expired and / or is still valid. If the processor determines that the virtual key has not yet expired and / or is still valid, the method returns to step 340. Conversely, if the processor determines that the virtual key has expired or is invalid, the method proceeds to step 360, where the virtual key is discarded (e.g., destroyed, erased, or otherwise rendered unusable) to prevent the electric vehicle 110 from continuing to operate in the limited mode of operation.

[0054] The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited in scope. The embodiments described above are described to best explain a practical application and to enable others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

[0055] In some examples, well-known components, systems, or methods have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the presented disclosure. Therefore, specific operational and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a representative basis for training one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0056] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the various illustrated logical blocks and algorithmic steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. Some of the embodiments and implementations are described as functional and / or logical block components (or modules) and various method steps. However, it should be appreciated that such block components (or modules) may be implemented by any number of hardware, software, and / or firmware components configured to perform the specified functions. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrated components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above in general terms of their functionality.Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware or software depends on the particular application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those of skill in the art may implement the described functionality in different ways for each particular application, but such implementation choices should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

[0057] The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or both. A software module may be embodied in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated with the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be embodied in an ASIC.

[0058] The block diagrams in the Fig.Figures 1-3 illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of the systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the block diagram may represent a module, a segment, or a portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing the specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions depicted in the block may also occur out of the order mentioned in the figures.It should also be noted that each block of the block diagram and / or flowchart illustration and combinations of the blocks in the block diagrams may be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specific functions or actions or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0059] In this document, relative terms such as first and second and the like may be used solely to distinguish one existence or action from another existence or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such existences or actions. Numerical sequences such as "first," "second," "third," etc., simply denote different units of a plurality and do not imply any order or sequence unless specifically defined by the claim language. The sequence of text in any of the claims does not imply that the method steps are to be performed in a temporal or logical order according to such a sequence unless specifically specified in the claim language.The process steps may be interchanged in any way without departing from the scope of the invention, as long as such an exchange does not violate the claim language and is not logically meaningless.

[0060] The terminology used herein for the purpose of describing particular embodiments is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural form, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is further to be understood that the terms "comprising" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integer values, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integer values, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0061] Furthermore, depending on the context, words such as "connected" or "coupled to," used to describe a relationship between different elements, do not imply that a direct physical connection must be established between those elements. For example, two elements may be physically connected, electronically, logically, or otherwise, through one or more additional elements.

[0062] The detailed description provides those skilled in the art with a convenient roadmap for practicing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, although the description above describes specific implementations of the disclosed embodiments used in connection with electric vehicles and vehicle charging stations, other implementations in which the virtual key may be used with other types of vehicles may be possible to enable a vehicle to operate in a limited operating mode that defines conditions for operating the vehicle.Examples include vehicles such as golf carts (or similar vehicles used in a gated community), two-wheeled personal human transport devices (such as those manufactured by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire, USA, etc.), and the like. Furthermore, the virtual key may be used in conjunction with non-electric vehicles in situations where it is desirable to enable the vehicle to operate in a limited operating mode that defines conditions for operating the vehicle. One such example would be applying the virtual key concept to rental vehicles or car dealership vehicles so that a vehicle can be operated, for example, within a specific area near the rental garage or car dealership. Examples.

[0063] Example 1. A method for authorized operation of an electric vehicle being charged at a charging station, the method comprising: determining at a computer whether predefined criteria relating to the electric vehicle are met; and communicating a virtual key to the electric vehicle if it is determined that the predetermined criteria are met, wherein the virtual key enables the electric vehicle to operate in a limited operating mode that defines conditions for operating the vehicle.

[0064] Example 2. A method according to example 1, wherein the virtual key enables the electric vehicle to be operated in a limited mode of operation without a physical key or key fob being present for the electric vehicle.

[0065] Example 3. A method according to example 1 or 2, wherein the conditions for operating the vehicle specify a maximum distance that the electric vehicle is allowed to travel during the limited operating mode.

[0066] Example 4. A method according to any one of examples 1-3, wherein the conditions for operating the vehicle specify a maximum speed at which the electric vehicle is permitted to be moved during the limited mode of operation.

[0067] Example 5. A method according to any one of examples 1-4, wherein the conditions for operating the vehicle specify a maximum acceleration at which the electric vehicle is allowed to be moved during the limited mode of operation.

[0068] Example 6. A method according to any one of examples 1-5, wherein the conditions for operating the vehicle specify a maximum time the electric vehicle is allowed to be moved after the virtual key is communicated to the electric vehicle.

[0069] Example 7. A method according to any one of examples 1-6, wherein the conditions for operating the vehicle specify a geographic region or boundaries in which the electric vehicle is permitted to be moved during the limited mode of operation.

[0070] Example 8. A method according to any one of examples 1-7, wherein the predefined criteria relate to the state of charge of the electric vehicle.

[0071] Example 9. A method according to example 8, wherein the predefined criteria relating to the state of charge of the electric vehicle are that the electric vehicle is within a certain percentage range of full charge.

[0072] Example 10. A method according to example 8, wherein the predefined criteria relating to the state of charge of the electric vehicle are that the electric vehicle is connected to a charging station for a period of time greater than or equal to a predetermined period of time.

[0073] Example 11. A method according to any one of examples 1-10, wherein the predefined criteria related to the state of charge of the electric vehicle are that an authorization has been obtained to move the electric vehicle when connected to a charging station.

[0074] Example 12. A method according to example 11, wherein the predefined criteria relating to the state of charge of the electric vehicle are that authorization has been obtained to move the electric vehicle when connected to the charging station and the authorization is still valid.

[0075] Example 13. A method according to example 11, wherein an owner of the electric vehicle and a charging station authority enter into an agreement that authorizes the charging station authority to communicate the virtual key for the electric vehicle when the electric vehicle is connected to any charging station affiliated with the charging station authority and it is determined that the predefined criteria are met.

[0076] Example 14. A method according to example 1, wherein when the electric vehicle is connected to the charging station, it further comprises: Authenticating the charging station with the electric vehicle; and Authenticating the electric vehicle with the charging station.

[0077] Example 15. A method according to example 1, further comprising, after the virtual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle: Operating the electric vehicle in a limited operating mode.

[0078] Example 16. A method according to example 15, wherein the virtual key is valid for a predetermined time after the virtual key has been communicated to the electric vehicle, and wherein the virtual key expires when the predetermined period of time has ended, and further comprising: Determine whether the virtual key has expired for the electric vehicle.

[0079] Example 17. A method according to example 16, if it has been determined that the virtual key has expired, the method further comprises: Discarding the virtual key to prevent the electric vehicle from operating in the limited operating mode.

[0080] Example 18. A system comprising: a charging station; an electric vehicle being charged at the charging station; and a computer associated with the charging station, the computer comprising a processor configured to: to determine whether predefined criteria relating to the electric vehicle have been met; and if it is determined that the predetermined criteria are met, to communicate a virtual key to the electric vehicle that allows the electric vehicle to be operated in a limited operating mode that defines conditions for operating the vehicle, the virtual key enabling the electric vehicle to be operated in the limited operating mode without a physical key or key fob being present for the vehicle.

[0081] Example 19. A computer associated with a charging station, the computer comprising: a processor configured to generate a virtual key and communicate with an electric vehicle being charged at a charging station when it is determined that predefined criteria relating to the electric vehicle are met, wherein the virtual key enables the electric vehicle to be operated in a limited operating mode which defines conditions for the operation of the vehicle.

[0082] Example 20. An electric vehicle comprising: a processor configured to: to receive a virtual key from a computer associated with a charging station, the virtual key defining conditions for operating the electric vehicle that enable the electric vehicle to operate in a limited operating mode; and To control the operations of the electric vehicle according to the conditions for operating the electric vehicle defined by the virtual key.

[0083] The above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of the embodiments intended to provide a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. The exemplary embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, and configuration of the disclosure in any way. While exemplary embodiments have been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that numerous variations exist. Variations, modifications, and combinations thereof may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, various changes in the function and arrangement of elements may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.All such variations, modifications and combinations are intended to be encompassed within the scope of this disclosure and the following claims.

Claims

[1] A method for authorising the operation of an electric vehicle within certain limits defined with respect to a charging station (22, 23-25) at which the electric vehicle is charged, the method comprising: - determining on a computer whether predefined criteria relating to the state of charge (16, 2-4) of the electric vehicle are met; and - Communicating a virtual key for the electric vehicle when it is determined that the predetermined criteria are met, the virtual key authorizing the operation of the electric vehicle within the limits defined with respect to the charging station and enabling it to operate in a limited operating mode defining conditions for operating the vehicle. [2] The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual key enables the electric vehicle to be operated in the limited operating mode without a physical key or key fob being present for the electric vehicle. [3] A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conditions for operating the vehicle specify a maximum distance at which the electric vehicle is permitted to be moved during the limited operating mode. [4] A method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the conditions for operating the vehicle specify a maximum speed at which the electric vehicle is allowed to be moved during the limited operating mode. [5] A method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the predefined criteria relating to an electric vehicle are that an authorization has been obtained to move the electric vehicle when connected to the charging station. [6] The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, when the electric vehicle is connected to the charging station, it further comprises: - Authenticating the charging station with the electric vehicle; and - Authenticating the electric vehicle with the charging station. [7] System comprising: - a charging station; - an electric vehicle being charged at the charging station; and - a computer associated with the charging station, the computer comprising a processor configured to: - to determine whether predefined criteria relating to the state of charge of the electric vehicle are met; and - if it is determined that the predetermined criteria are met, to communicate a virtual key to the electric vehicle which allows the electric vehicle to be operated in a limited operating mode which defines conditions for operating the vehicle, wherein the virtual key authorises the operation of the electric vehicle within the limits defined with respect to the charging station and enables it to be operated in the limited operating mode without a physical key or a key fob for the vehicle being present. [8] A computer associated with a charging station, the computer comprising: - a processor configured to generate a virtual key and communicate with an electric vehicle being charged at a charging station when it is determined that predefined criteria relating to the electric vehicle are met, - the virtual key authorising the operation of the electric vehicle and allowing it to operate in a limited operating mode within the limits defined in relation to the charging station, which defines conditions for the operation of the vehicle. [9] Electric vehicle, comprising: - a processor configured to: - to receive a virtual key from a computer associated with a charging station, the virtual key authorising the operation of the electric vehicle and defining conditions for operating the electric vehicle that enable the electric vehicle to be operated in a limited operating mode within the limits defined in relation to the charging station; and To control operations of the electric vehicle according to the conditions for operating the electric vehicle defined by the virtual key.

Images