EV Charging Connector Release for Unsafe Situation Escape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle charging systems do not adequately address unsafe situations that may arise during charging, potentially endangering the vehicle and its occupants, as they fail to automatically disengage the charging connector and enable driving functionality when unsafe conditions are detected.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle is equipped with sensors and a computer system that continuously monitors the environment during charging, detecting unsafe situations and automatically disengaging the charging connector while re-enabling driving functionality to allow safe evacuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the charging connector remains engaged during charging, then the vehicle can continuously receive power, but the vehicle cannot respond to unsafe situations by disengaging and driving away
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes the capability to disengage the charging connector and re-enable driving functionality upon detecting unsafe conditions. Sensors continuously monitor the environment during charging, and the control system is pre-configured to automatically execute disengagement and driving enablement when threats are detected, eliminating the need for manual intervention.
2Reliability
If the system automatically disengages the charging connector upon detecting unsafe conditions, then vehicle and occupant safety is improved, but the charging process may be interrupted unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs continuous feedback through sensors that monitor environmental conditions during charging. When unsafe conditions are detected, the control system receives feedback and automatically disengages the charging connector. The system can also receive feedback indicating when conditions become safe again, allowing for potential re-engagement and resumption of charging, thus optimizing both safety and charging efficiency.
3Reliability
If sensors and monitoring systems are added to detect unsafe situations, then safety detection capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes multi-functional sensors and control units that perform both charging management and safety monitoring functions. The control system integrates charging control, sensor data processing, connector disengagement, and driving functionality management into a unified architecture, reducing the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
An example operation includes one or more of determining by a vehicle being charged that an unsafe situation exists, and responsive to determining that the unsafe situation exists, disengaging a charging connector on the vehicle and re-engaging a driving functionality of the vehicle. For example, the disengaging may include unlocking a safety latch that secures a charging port of a charging point to the charging connector and the re-engaging may include enabling a gear shift of the vehicle to move into a driving gear.