# US 2018/0022226 A1 · Method and control system for charging a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0022226 A1 - Document ID: US20180022226A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/550,395 - Filed: 2016-02-18 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-18 - Assignees: Scania CV AB - Applicants: Scania CV AB - Inventors: Robert Sjodin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022226A1 ## CPC - B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer - B60L 3/0015: {Prevention of collisions} - B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion - B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types - B60L 58/15: Preventing overcharging - B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage - B60L 2240/28: Door position - B60L 2240/30: Parking brake position - B60L 2240/42: related to electric machines - B60L 2240/44: related to combustion engines - B60L 2240/48: related to transmissions - B60L 2240/486: Operating parameters - B60L 2250/12: by confirmation, e.g. of the input - B60L 2250/16: by display - B60L 2270/32: of electricity - B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles - B60Y 2300/91: Battery charging - 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 - Y10S 903/903: having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor - 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 - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - 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 - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A hybrid vehicle and a method of controlling a hybrid vehicle is provided. The hybrid vehicle comprises an electronic control system configured to perform a first mode of controlling the selective opening and closing of a blocking mechanism of a connector socket, which connector socket is provided for connection of a charging cable to the hybrid vehicle. The first mode including: monitoring a respective state of two or more components of the hybrid vehicle, and automatically opening the blocking mechanism upon determining that said states of said two or more components fulfill a respective criterion. The two or more components include a parking brake, and vehicle locks, wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the parking brake being applied, and a state of the vehicle locks being unlocked. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hybrid vehicle, comprising an electronic control system including a hybrid system controller, and a hybrid system, which hybrid system comprises a connector for connection of a charging cable of a charging station to the hybrid vehicle, said connector comprising a blocking mechanism for selectively preventing and allowing access of a charging cable plug to the connector, said electronic control system being operatively connected to the blocking mechanism and being connected to a number of components of the hybrid vehicle, wherein said electronic control system being configured to perform a first mode of controlling the selective opening and closing of the blocking mechanism, wherein the electronic control system when performing the first mode of controlling is configured to: determine the state of two or more components of the hybrid vehicle; and automatically open the blocking mechanism upon determining that the state of each of said two or more components fulfills a respective criterion, wherein said two or more components include: a parking brake, wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the parking brake being applied; and vehicle locks, wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the vehicle locks being unlocked. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said two or more components include the gear box and wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the gear box being in a neutral gear. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said two or more components include an internal combustion engine and wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the internal combustion engine being off. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said two or more components include an electric motor and wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the electric motor being disabled. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said two or more components include an ignition switch and wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the ignition switch being either on or off. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control system is further configured to: detect insertion of a plug into the connector when performing the first mode; switch to a second mode of controlling the blocking mechanism upon detecting an inserted plug; and secure the plug by closing the blocking mechanism when performing the second mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the electronic control system is configured to: lock the parking brake in the applied state when performing the second mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the electronic control system is configured to: lock the gear box in the neutral gear when performing the second mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the electronic control system is configured to: request charging when performing the second mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the electronic control system is configured to: lock the parking brake in the applied state when performing the second mode; lock the gear box in the neutral gear when performing the second mode; and request charging after the parking brake and the gear box have been locked. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The hybrid vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the electronic control system is configured to: release the plug by opening the locking mechanism when performing the second mode, said plug being released when the state of the vehicle locks changes from locked to unlocked; a command indicating that charging should be stopped is received from a user interface of the hybrid vehicle; or a state of an energy storage of the hybrid vehicle reaches fully loaded. ### Claim 12 A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle, which hybrid vehicle comprises an electronic control system including a hybrid system controller, and a hybrid system, which hybrid system comprises a connector for connection of a charging cable of a charging station to the hybrid vehicle, said connector comprising a blocking mechanism for selectively preventing and allowing insertion of a plug of the charging cable into the connector, said method being performed by the electronic control system and includes a first mode of controlling the blocking mechanism, and wherein the first mode includes: monitoring the state of two or more components of the hybrid vehicle; and automatically opening the blocking mechanism upon determining that the state of said two or more components fulfills a respective criterion, wherein said two or more components include: a parking brake, wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism includes that the state of the parking brake is applied; and the vehicle locks, wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the vehicle locks being unlocked. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method for controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said two or more components include the gear box and wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the gear box being in a neutral gear. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method for controlling a hybrid vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said two or more components include an internal combustion engine and wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the internal combustion engine being off. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method for controlling charging according to claim 12, wherein said two or more components include an electric motor and wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the electric motor being disabled. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method for controlling charging according to claim 12, wherein said two or more components include an ignition switch and wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the ignition switch being either on or off. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method for controlling charging according to claim 12, further including detecting insertion of a plug of a charging station in the connector and switching to a second mode of controlling the blocking mechanism upon detecting an inserted plug, which second mode of controlling the blocking mechanism includes securing the plug in the connector by closing the blocking mechanism. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method for controlling charging according to claim 17, wherein the second mode includes: ensuring that the hybrid vehicle is ready for charging by locking the parking brake (42) in the applied state. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method for controlling charging according to claim 17, wherein the second mode includes: ensuring that the hybrid vehicle is ready for charging by locking the gear box in the neutral gear. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method for controlling charging according to claim 16, wherein the second mode includes: requesting charging. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method for controlling charging according to claim 16, wherein the second mode includes: releasing the plug by opening the blocking mechanism when at least one of the following three criteria is fulfilled: the state of the vehicle locks being changed from locked to unlocked; a command indicating that charging should be stopped being received from a user interface of the hybrid vehicle; or a state of an energy storage of the hybrid vehicle reaching fully loaded. ### Claim 22 A computer program product comprising computer program code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium readable by a computer, said computer program product used for controlling a hybrid vehicle, which hybrid vehicle comprises an electronic control system including a hybrid system controller, and a hybrid system, which hybrid system comprises a connector for connection of a charging cable of a charging station to the hybrid vehicle, said connector comprising a blocking mechanism for selectively preventing and allowing insertion of a plug of the charging cable into the connector, said computer program code comprising computer instructions to cause one or more computer processors to perform the following operations in a first mode of controlling the blocking mechanism: monitoring the state of two or more components of the hybrid vehicle; and automatically opening the blocking mechanism upon determining that the state of said two or more components fulfills a respective criterion, wherein said two or more components include: a parking brake, wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism includes that the state of the parking brake is applied; and the vehicle locks, wherein the criteria for automatically opening the blocking mechanism include a state of the vehicle locks being unlocked.