Electricity Charging System With Power-Based Battery Status Display

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electricity charging systems require communication facilities to exchange information about stored battery electricity, leading to compatibility issues and unnecessary communication costs, especially when charging facilities are installed in buildings and batteries are used in vehicles.

Innovation Solution

An electricity charging system that uses a charger portion, detection portion, and control portion to vary electric power supplied to the battery based on detected charge levels, allowing a display portion to show stored electricity information without needing communication facilities, using two different electric powers where the incidence of one power increases with increasing charge levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If communication facilities are used to exchange information about stored battery electricity, then information accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation accuracyVSAvoidcommunication facility complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the information exchange function from the communication facility domain and implements it through the existing power supply facility. By encoding battery status information in the power supply characteristics (voltage, current, frequency) themselves, the system eliminates the need for separate communication facilities while maintaining accurate information transfer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The power supply facility is given dual functionality: it not only supplies electrical energy to charge the battery but also serves as the information transmission channel. The same physical infrastructure (power cables, connectors) carries both energy and data, eliminating the need for dedicated communication facilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Loss of information

If communication facilities are installed for information exchange, then information transfer capability is improved, but compatibility is worsened due to protocol requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation transfer capabilityVSAvoidcompatibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The power supply facility serves multiple functions including energy transmission and information exchange, eliminating the need for protocol-matched communication facilities. This universal approach allows different charging devices to work with various battery types without requiring compatible communication protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The information transfer function is extracted from the communication domain and embedded in the power supply characteristics. By using inherent power parameters (voltage levels, current patterns, frequency modulation) to encode information, the system avoids protocol dependencies and enhances compatibility across different devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Loss of information

If communication facilities are provided for charging, then information exchange is improved, but cost increases due to facility requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation exchange capabilityVSAvoidfacility cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The existing power supply infrastructure performs dual roles as both energy source and information channel. By modulating power parameters to encode battery status information, the system eliminates the need for separate communication hardware, reducing overall facility costs while maintaining full information exchange capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The information exchange function is extracted from dedicated communication facilities and integrated into the power supply system. This consolidation eliminates redundant hardware costs for communication modules, sensors, and processors while preserving accurate real-time information transfer about battery charging status.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If amount of electricity stored per unit time is used as index, then charging rate information is provided, but ability to show proximity to empty or full state is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging rate informationVSAvoidstate proximity information
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring power consumption patterns and using them to infer battery state of charge. By analyzing the relationship between applied charging power and actual power consumption over time, the system determines whether the battery is approaching full or empty states, providing both charging rate and state proximity information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from using a single parameter (charging rate per unit time) to multiple parameters including power consumption patterns, voltage levels, current characteristics, and time-based variations. These combined parameters enable the system to determine both charging speed and the battery's proximity to empty or full states.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2593327B1Electricity charging system and control method thereof
Publication Date: 2018.05.23 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP2593327B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2593327B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2593327B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electricity charging system includes: a charger portion that charges a storage battery; a detection portion that detects an amount of charge stored in the storage battery; and a control portion that controls electric power that is supplied to charge the storage battery by the charger portion so that the electric power changes by a predetermined rule, according to the amount of stored electricity detected by the detection portion.