Patent ID: 8125324

Claim:
A battery charging monitoring and status indication system, comprising: a battery mounted to an electric vehicle; a charging coupler port mounted to said electric vehicle and coupled to said battery, the charging coupler port configured to conduct charging energy to said battery; a charging coupler port door, wherein said charging coupler port door at least partially covers said charging coupler port; a charging coupler port door switch configured to output a first door status signal when said charging coupler port door is open and to output a second door status signal when said charging coupler port door is closed; a battery charge state circuit, wherein said battery charge state circuit is configured to output a first charge state signal when a charging coupler is attached to said charging coupler port and energy is not being transmitted through said charging coupler port, wherein said battery charge state circuit is configured to output a second charge state signal when said charging coupler is attached to said charging coupler port and when energy is being transmitted through said charging coupler port and when a battery state of charge (SOC) is less than a target SOC, and wherein said battery charge state circuit is configured to output a third charge state signal when said charging coupler is attached to said charging coupler port and when said battery SOC is greater than said target SOC; a fault detection circuit configured to output a fault signal when an electrical fault is detected; and a lighting circuit, wherein said lighting circuit is configured to activate a first colored status indicator when said charging coupler port door switch outputs said first door status signal and when said battery charge state circuit does not output said first, second or third charge state signals, wherein said lighting circuit is configured to activate a second colored status indicator when said charging coupler port door switch outputs said first door status signal and said battery charge state circuit outputs said first charge state signal, wherein said lighting circuit is configured to activate a third colored status indicator when said charging coupler port door switch outputs said first door status signal and said battery charge state circuit outputs said second charge state signal, wherein said lighting circuit is configured to activate a fourth colored status indicator when said charging coupler door switch output said first door status signal and said battery charge state circuit outputs said third charge state signal, and wherein said lighting circuit is configured to activate a fifth colored status indicator when said charging coupler door switch output said first door status signal and said fault detection circuit outputs said fault signal.