EV Battery Pack Charge Notifications for External Power Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems do not efficiently provide information on the charge status of electric vehicles when they are used as battery packs for external electrical devices, risking insufficient charge for reaching a destination.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using a system controller to monitor the charge status and provide notifications through various means, including displays and projections, to ensure the electric vehicle has sufficient charge for a planned destination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the electric vehicle is used to provide power to an external electrical device, then the utility of the electric vehicle is improved, but the charge status monitoring and notification capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the charge status of the electric vehicle and provides real-time feedback to the user through notifications. The controller detects when the charge level reaches a predetermined threshold and sends alerts to the user's device, enabling the user to make informed decisions about power usage. This feedback mechanism ensures that charge status information is maintained and communicated even while the vehicle is powering external devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system acts as an intermediary between the electric vehicle's electrical system and the user. Instead of requiring direct user monitoring of complex electrical parameters, the system translates charge status data into user-friendly notifications that can be received on external devices. This intermediary layer preserves charge status information and presents it in an accessible format.
2Power
If the electric vehicle provides power to an external electrical device, then the power utility is improved, but the risk of insufficient charge for reaching destination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring charge status and predicting when the charge level will reach a threshold that would prevent reaching the destination. Before the charge becomes insufficient, the system sends advance notifications to the user, allowing them to take corrective action such as disconnecting external devices or finding a charging station. This preliminary warning mechanism maintains reliability by preventing charge depletion before the destination is reached.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system implements preliminary anti-action by alerting users before charge depletion occurs. The system calculates the charge threshold needed to reach the destination and provides warnings in advance, counteracting the potential harmful effect of insufficient charge. This preemptive approach ensures that power provision to external devices does not compromise the ability to reach the destination.
3Measurement precision
If the system monitors charge status continuously, then the charge status awareness is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electric vehicle's existing electrical system and controller perform the monitoring function, utilizing components already present in the vehicle. The controller that manages the vehicle's electrical system also handles charge status monitoring and notification, eliminating the need for separate dedicated monitoring hardware. This self-service approach maintains precise charge status awareness while minimizing additional system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of providing information related to a charge status of an electric vehicle when the electric vehicle is being used as a battery pack includes detecting, with a system controller in communication with an electrical system within the vehicle, when the electric vehicle is being used to provide power to an external electrical device, and when the electric vehicle is being used to provide power to an external electrical device, monitoring, with the system controller in communication with the electrical system within the electric vehicle, information related to a charge status of the electric vehicle, and providing notification, to a person in proximity to the electric vehicle, with the system controller, the charge status of the electric vehicle.