Using a circuit rating to establish a charge rate for an electric storage battery of an electric vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsAllan R. Gale, Michael Degner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for charging an electric storage battery in a plug-in electric vehicle through a power supply circuit includes coupling a charger to the circuit, providing the charger with a signal representing a current capacity of the circuit, using the signal to determine a maximum charge rate corresponds to the current capacity of the circuit represented by the signal, and charging the battery through the circuit and charger at the maximum charge rate.
Claims13
A method for charging an electric storage battery in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle through a power supply circuit, comprising the steps of:
- (a) coupling the charger to the circuit;
- (b) providing the charger with a signal representing a current capacity of the circuit;
- (c) using the signal to determine a maximum charge rate corresponding to the current capacity of the circuit represented by the signal;
- and
- (d) charging the battery through the circuit and charger at the maximum charge rate.
A system for charging an electric storage battery in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:
- a power supply circuit;
- a signal source transmitting a signal representing a current capacity of the power supply circuit;
- and
- a charger coupled to the power supply circuit and the battery, in communication with the signal source, and configured to charge the battery from the power supply circuit at a charge rate whose magnitude is represented by the signal.
A system for charging an electric storage battery in a plug-in electric vehicle, comprising:
- a power supply circuit;
- a signal source transmitting a signal representing a current capacity of the power supply circuit;
- and
- a charger coupled to the power supply circuit and the battery, in communication with the signal source, and configured to vary a charge rate depending on the current capacity of the circuit represented by the signal, to determine with reference to the signal representing the current capacity of the circuit a maximum charge rate at which the battery is charged, and to charge the battery at the maximum charge rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.