# US 10,500,977 B2 · Vehicle charging stations equipped with notification systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,977 B2 - Document ID: US10500977B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/787,964 - Filed: 2017-10-19 - Published: 2019-04-25 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-19 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Kyle Anzicek; John Sturza; Dylan Erb; Abdul Lateef; Charles Honick; Philip Michael Gonzales - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500977B2 ## CPC - B60L 53/31: Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles - B60L 50/90: using propulsion power supplied by specific means not covered by groups B60L50/10 - B60L50/50, e.g. by direct conversion of thermal nuclear energy into electricity - B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer - B60L 53/64: Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates - G08B 7/06: using electric transmission {, e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources} - G08B 21/182: {Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold} - G08B 25/08: using communication transmission lines {(G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence)} - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV] - Y04S 30/14: Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A vehicle charging includes a housing, a sensor system configured to detect if a vehicle is parked near the housing, and a notification system configured to communicate an alert if the vehicle is parked near the housing and charging has not been initiated within a threshold amount of time. The alert indicates improper usage of the vehicle charging station to an operator of the vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle charging station, comprising: a housing; a sensor system configured to detect when a vehicle is parked near the housing; a notification system configured to communicate an alert when the vehicle is parked near the housing and charging has not been initiated within a threshold amount of time; and a control module configured to command the notification system to generate the alert when charging via the vehicle charging station has not been initiated after the threshold amount of time has passed since detecting the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, comprising a charging cord extending from the housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 2, wherein the charging cord includes a plug for connecting to a vehicle charging port. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor system includes a proximity sensor for sensing whether the vehicle is parked in a parking spot associated with the vehicle charging station. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the alert is a visual alert produced by a light source of the notification system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the alert is an audible alert produced by a speaker of the notification system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the alert includes both an audible alert produced by a speaker of the notification system and a visual alert produced by a light source of the notification system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the notification system includes a communication system configured to communicate the alert to a remotely located agency. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to monitor a plug connection status signal of a charging cord and a vehicle detection signal from the sensor system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to monitor a wireless connection status signal to determine when the vehicle charging station has been wirelessly connected to the vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein the alert indicates improper usage of the vehicle charging station to an operator of the vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vehicle charging station as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor system and said notification system are powered by an external power source. ### Claim 13 A method, comprising: detecting whether a vehicle is parked near a vehicle charging station; and generating an alert from a notification system of the vehicle charging station, in response to a command from a control module, when charging via the vehicle charging station has not been initiated within a threshold amount of time since detecting the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13, wherein detecting whether the vehicle is parked near the charging station includes: sensing, with a sensor system of the vehicle charging station, when the vehicle is parked in a parking space associated with the vehicle charging station. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the sensor system includes at least one proximity sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating the alert includes: producing a visual alert with a light source of the notification system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating the alert includes: producing an audible alert with a speaker of the notification system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating the alert includes: producing a visual alert with a light source of the notification system; and producing an audible alert with a speaker of the notification system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating the alert includes: communicating the alert to a remotely located agency with a communication device of the notification system.