# Smart EV Charging to Protect Battery Life During Long Parking > This patent describes a system that intelligently discharges and recharges an electric vehicle's battery while parked for a long time, like at an airport, to prevent battery damage and ensure it's ready when the owner returns, using vehicle-to-grid technology. - **Patent:** US 11235681 - **Original title:** Curtailing battery degradation of an electric vehicle during long-term parking - **Owner:** Inventus Holdings - **Granted:** 2022 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 3 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, automotive, telecommunications, software, energy ## What it does This patent describes a computer program, called a "charge control application" (Claim 1), that manages an electric vehicle's (EV) battery when it's parked for an extended period. When the EV connects to a special "vehicle-to-grid (V2G) interface" (Claim 1), the application first commands the interface to discharge the battery to a "low threshold state of charge (SoC)" (Claim 1). This low charge level helps prevent the battery from degrading while stored. The system then figures out when the EV owner is expected to return by using information from their "end-user device" (Claim 1), such as a smartphone (Claim 4) or the car's computer (Claim 5), which might include flight details (Claim 6). Based on this predicted return time, the application calculates a "return threshold time" (Claim 1) and commands the V2G interface to recharge the battery to an "upper threshold SoC" (Claim 1) just before the owner is expected back. For example, if you park your EV at an airport for a week, the system might discharge your battery to 3% (Claim 7) for storage, then recharge it to 95% (Claim 8) just before your flight lands. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover battery management systems that only charge or only discharge without the intelligent timing based on an expected return. - Does not cover systems that manage battery degradation without specifically utilizing a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) interface. - Does not cover systems that determine an operator's return time without using data from an "end-user device" or information characterizing "another vehicle" like a flight. - Does not cover simply maintaining a battery at a fixed State of Charge (SoC) without the initial discharge to a low threshold and a timed recharge to an upper threshold. - Does not cover systems that do not involve both a "low threshold SoC" and an "upper threshold SoC" for battery management. ## The clever bit The novelty lies in combining active battery degradation prevention, by discharging the battery to a safe low State of Charge for storage, with predictive timing using external data like flight schedules to ensure the battery is fully charged just in time for the owner's return, all while leveraging a V2G connection. ## Real-world examples 1. Electric vehicle charging stations at airports or long-term parking facilities 2. Smart charging services that integrate with travel itineraries 3. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) parking solutions for fleet management 4. EVs with advanced battery management systems for extended parking ## Why it matters Battery degradation is a significant concern for electric vehicle owners, especially when cars are left parked for long periods at very high or very low charge levels. This patent offers a solution by actively managing the battery's state of charge to extend its lifespan. Furthermore, by integrating with "vehicle-to-grid" technology, it allows the EV to potentially provide power back to the electricity grid, which could offer financial incentives to owners and help stabilize power networks. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Smart EV Charging to Protect Battery Life During Long Parking cover? This patent describes a system that intelligently discharges and recharges an electric vehicle's battery while parked for a long time, like at an airport, to prevent battery damage and ensure it's ready when the owner returns, using vehicle-to-grid technology. ### Who owns patent US 11235681? Inventus Holdings owns this patent, granted in 2022. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on May 8, 2040, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 11235681 cited by? This patent has been cited by 3 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? Battery degradation is a significant concern for electric vehicle owners, especially when cars are left parked for long periods at very high or very low charge levels. This patent offers a solution by actively managing the battery's state of charge to extend its lifespan. Furthermore, by integrating with "vehicle-to-grid" technology, it allows the EV to potentially provide power back to the electricity grid, which could offer financial incentives to owners and help stabilize power networks. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover battery management systems that only charge or only discharge without the intelligent timing based on an expected return. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11235681/curtailing-battery-degradation-of-an-electric-vehicle-during-long-term-parking **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US11235681 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How an EV Charging Station Manages Power from Batteries and the Grid](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9168838/charging-control-system-and-charging-control-method) — This patent describes a smart charging system for electric vehicles that decides whether to power cars from a local battery or the main electricity grid, and when to recharge that local battery, to help balance power demand. - [How Electric Cars Safely Pause Charging When You Want to Unplug](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9379564/charging-control-apparatus-and-charging-control-method) — A system for electric vehicles that safely pauses power flow when a driver signals they want to disconnect the charging cable, preventing electrical arcing or damage. - [How to Fast-Charge Lithium Batteries Without Damaging Them](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10700376/methods-for-fast-charging-and-detecting-lithium-plating-in-lithium-ion-batteries) — This patent describes a three-phase method for quickly charging lithium-ion batteries while carefully controlling voltages to prevent harmful lithium metal buildup and electrolyte damage. - [How to Grade Used Batteries for a Second Life](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9397374/secondary-battery-module-battery-information-management-device-battery-informati) — This patent describes a system that reads electrical characteristics and usage history from a rechargeable battery module to determine if it's good enough to be used again for a different purpose, like energy storage. - [How Mobile Apps Connect Drivers to Real-Time Parking Spots](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10108910/airbnb-booking-platform) — A system where a parking server uses a mobile carrier's authentication to help drivers find, track, and reserve parking spots in real-time.