Patent ID: 9399402
Filing Date: 2016-07-26
CPC Classification: B60L,Y02T

Claim Text:
1. A proximity detection circuit for use in awakening a microcontroller to perform detection of a connection of a charging cordset to a receptacle of a vehicle charging system, the cordset having a proximity pin that plugs into a terminal of the receptacle when the cordset is connected, the proximity detection circuit comprising: a wake-up signal generating circuit operable to generate a wake-up signal for awakening the microcontroller from a sleep state to an active state to perform detection of a connection of the charging cordset to the receptacle; and a connection circuit configured to conduct through the pin in order to enable the wake-up signal generating circuit to generate the wake-up signal, wherein the connection circuit is operable between a first state and a second state, the first state corresponding with the connection circuit consuming a first non-zero amount of current and the second state corresponding with the connection circuit consuming a second non-zero amount of current, the second non-zero amount of current greater than the first non-zero amount of current; wherein the connection circuit is operable between the first and second state according to controlling signals received from the microcontroller, the microcontroller controlling the connecting circuit to the first state upon determining disconnection of the cordset and to the second state upon determining connection of the cordset.