Charging system of electric vehicle and method for charging electric vehicle

Abstract

A charging system of an electric vehicle and a method for charging the electric vehicle are described in the present invention. The system uses a smart card for battery management when charging a battery. Furthermore, the system can prevent the battery or the electric vehicle from being stolen. Compared to existing charging systems for electric vehicles, the present invention can save more cost for users and provide safety mechanism for battery or electric vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A charging system of an electric vehicle, comprising:
 a smart card memory device having a user identification (UID) for identifying a user of the electric vehicle; 
 a first rechargeable battery having first battery information and stored with the UID while installed in the electric vehicle, for providing electric power to the electric vehicle; 
 a second rechargeable battery having second battery information and stored with the UID while the first rechargeable battery in low battery is replaced with the second rechargeable battery; and 
 a charging station, comprising:
 a controlling module for confirming that the first rechargeable battery is stored with the UID and then allowing replacement of the first rechargeable battery with the second rechargeable battery; 
 an updating unit for writing the UID to the second rechargeable battery while the first rechargeable battery is replaced with the second rechargeable battery; and 
 a charging set for charging the first and second rechargeable batteries. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second rechargeable batteries each has a unique and unchangeable battery serial number. 
     
     
       3. The charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second battery information each comprises charging state, lifetime, cycle count and health state of the rechargeable battery. 
     
     
       4. The charging system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter for transmitting the charging state, lifetime, cycle count and health state of the rechargeable battery, and UID to a remote computer local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), wireless LAN or wireless WAN. 
     
     
       5. The charging system according to  claim 4 , wherein the remote computer is stored with the UID, user name, user telephone number, and license plate number of the electric vehicle. 
     
     
       6. The charging system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a billing unit for billing the user while replacing the first rechargeable battery with the second rechargeable battery. 
     
     
       7. The charging system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a notifying unit for notifying the user update of battery information via instant messaging service, short message service (SMS) or email. 
     
     
       8. In an electric vehicle having a first rechargeable battery, a method for charging the electric vehicle, comprising the steps of:
 storing in a smart card device a user identification (UID) for identifying a user of the electric vehicle; 
 determining whether the first rechargeable battery is stored with the UID; 
 replacing the first rechargeable battery in low battery with a second rechargeable battery; and 
 writing the UID to the second rechargeable battery while the first rechargeable battery is replaced with the second rechargeable battery. 
 
     
     
       9. The charging method according to  claim 8 , wherein the first and second rechargeable batteries each has a unique and unchangeable battery serial number. 
     
     
       10. The charging method according to  claim 8 , wherein the first and second rechargeable battery each has battery information which comprises charging state, lifetime, cycle count and health state of the rechargeable battery. 
     
     
       11. The charging method according to  claim 10 , further comprising a step of notifying the user update of the battery information via instant messaging service, short message service (SMS) or email. 
     
     
       12. The charging method according to  claim 8 , further comprising a step of transmitting the charging state, lifetime, cycle count and health state of the rechargeable battery, and UID to a remote computer via local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), wireless LAN or wireless WAN. 
     
     
       13. The charging method according to  claim 12 , wherein the remote computer is stored with the UID, user name, user telephone number, and license plate number of the electric vehicle. 
     
     
       14. The charging method according to  claim 8 , further comprising a step of billing the user while replacing the first rechargeable battery with the second rechargeable battery. 
     
     
       15. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the smart card is further used for matching with one of the electric vehicle and the first rechargeable battery.  
     
     
       16. The charging system according to claim 15, wherein when the user is performing the replacement of the first rechargeable battery with the second rechargeable battery, if there is one of cases that the user is not an owner of the smart card and the user is not an owner of the electric vehicle, the charging station performs at least one of denying the replacement and informing the case to at least one owner of the smart card and the electric vehicle.  
     
     
       17. The charging system according to claim 8, wherein the smart device is a smart card.  
     
     
       18. A method for charging an electric vehicle having a first rechargeable battery, comprising the steps of:
 determining whether the first rechargeable battery is stored with a user identification (UID) for identifying a user of one of the first rechargeable battery and the electric vehicle;   replacing the first rechargeable battery with a second rechargeable battery; and   storing the UID in the second rechargeable battery while the first rechargeable battery is replaced with the second rechargeable battery.    
     
     
       19. The charging method according to claim 18, further comprising a step of: providing a smart device for matching with one of the electric vehicle and the first rechargeable battery.  
     
     
       20. The charging method according to claim 19, further comprising a step of: when the replacing step is performed, if there is one of cases that the user is not an owner of the smart device and the user is not an owner of the electric vehicle, performing at least one of disabling the replacing step and informing the case to at least one owner of the smart device and the electric vehicle.  
     
     
       21. The charging method according to claim 20, wherein the smart device is stored with the UID for matching with one of the electric vehicle and the first rechargeable battery.  
     
     
       22. The charging method according to claim 21, wherein:
 the smart device is a smart card;   the first and second rechargeable batteries each has a unique and unchangeable battery serial number; and   the first and second rechargeable battery each has battery information which includes charging state, lifetime, cycle count and health state of the respective rechargeable battery.    
     
     
       23. The charging method according to claim 22, further comprising steps of:
 notifying the user update of the battery information via one selected from a group consisting of instant messaging service, short message service (SMS) and email;   transmitting the battery information and UID to a remote computer via one selected from a group consisting of local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), wireless LAN and wireless WAN; and   billing the user while replacing the first rechargeable battery with the second rechargeable battery.