# US 11,027,624 B2 · Electric vehicle charging by adjusting charger current based on battery chemistry

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- Number: US 11,027,624 B2
- Document ID: US11027624B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/705,920
- Filed: 2017-09-15
- Published: 2019-03-21
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-15
- Assignees: Proterra Inc.
- Applicants: Proterra Inc.
- Inventors: Dustin Grace; Seamus T. McGrath
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027624B2

## CPC

- H02J 7/977: {of the battery}
- B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer
- B60L 53/32: {by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops}
- B60L 53/62: in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
- B60L 53/66: Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
- B60L 53/665: {Methods related to measuring, billing or payment}
- H01M 10/42: Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells (H01M10/60 takes precedence)
- H01M 10/441: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially}
- H01M 10/443: {in response to temperature}
- H01M 10/482: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially}
- H02J 7/04: Regulation of charging current or voltage
- H02J 7/44: between battery management systems and power sources
- H02J 7/485: {with provisions for charging different types of batteries}
- H02J 7/50: acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially
- H02J 7/933: {the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters}
- H02J 7/94: in response to battery current
- H02J 7/971: {the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters}
- B60L 2200/18: Buses
- B60L 2240/545: Temperature
- H01M 2010/4271: {Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing}
- H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- H02J 2105/37: exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV]
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- 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
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- 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
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A method for charging an electric vehicle using charge current from a charging source. The charge current is determined based at least on the state of charge of the electric vehicle and a chemistry or type of the battery system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for charging an electric vehicle battery system, comprising:
receiving a chemistry of the battery system from the electric vehicle battery system as the electric vehicle approaches a charging station;
after receiving the chemistry of the battery system, electrically connecting the electric vehicle to the charging station;
after electrically connecting the electric vehicle to the charging station, determining a state of charge of the battery system and a passenger load of the electric vehicle;
determining a charge current based on at least the determined state of charge and the chemistry of the battery system from a database that identifies the charge current as a function of state of charge for multiple battery chemistries;
adjusting the determined charge current to a modified charge current based on the determined passenger load;
charging the electric vehicle by directing a value of current based on the modified charge current from the charging station to the battery system;
determining an updated state of charge of the battery system after initiation of charging;
determining a revised charge current based at least on the determined updated state of charge; and
adjusting the value of current directed to the vehicle based on the revised charge current.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the chemistry of the battery system from the electric vehicle battery system includes receiving the chemistry of the battery system from a signal received from the electric vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein electrically connecting the electric vehicle to the charging station incudes connecting a charging brace of an overhead charging station to electrodes on a roof of the electric vehicle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a distance to be traveled by the electric vehicle to the next charging event.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising:
adjusting the determined charge current to the modified charge current further based on the determined distance to the next charging event.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising
determining the revised charge current further based at least one of (a) battery temperature, (b) energy cost, and (c) an amount of energy needed by another electric vehicle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the value of the current directed to the vehicle based on the revised charge current includes increasing the magnitude of the modified charge current.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the value of the current directed to the vehicle based on the revised charge current includes decreasing the magnitude of the modified charge current.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is an electric bus.