US 11508996

US Patent 11508996, titled "Vehicular battery charger, charging system, and method," was issued to inventor Christopher B. Austin. The patent's original assignee was an Individual, and it was later assigned to CHARGELOGIC LLC on February 23, 2026. The patent was filed on March 1, 2021, and issued on November 22, 2022.

Abstract:
The patent describes a vehicle charger, a vehicle charging system, and a method for charging a vehicle battery. The vehicle charger includes a controller, a display, and a user-manipulatable control. A user can input a desired charging session end time, and the controller adjusts the power supply (e.g., increasing/decreasing charge rate, starting/stopping charging) based on the time needed to charge the battery by the user-defined end time.

Independent Claims Overview:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a vehicle charger with a controller, a display showing time, and user controls to set a charging session end time. The controller manages power supply (e.g., changes charge rate, starts/stops charging) to meet the end time, considering the time required to charge the battery.
• Claim 10: This claim covers a vehicle charger with a controller and memory to save a user-entered time of day. The controller adjusts power supply based on this time. A key feature is that if the battery charge level drops below a threshold, the controller will supply power until that threshold is met, regardless of the programmed time of day.
• Claim 15: This claim focuses on a vehicle charger where the controller, linked to a display, manages power supply based on a time of day and displays the estimated time remaining to complete the battery charge.
• Claim 17: Similar to Claim 15, this claim describes a vehicle charger that displays the amount of power consumed by the battery during the charging session, with the controller managing power based on a time of day.
• Claim 19: This claim also details a vehicle charger that displays the cost of power supplied to the charger, with the controller adjusting power based on a time of day.
• Claim 21: This claim describes a vehicle charger with a display, user controls, and a second controller that communicates with a remote first controller. The second controller can change the charging state of the vehicle charger based on signals from the first controller, which in turn is influenced by a user-entered time of day.
• Claim 23: This claim describes a vehicle charger where the controller manages power supply based on a time of day and transmits a signal if it detects an interruption in the power supply to the charger.
• Claim 25: This claim describes an inductive charging system. It includes a first core on the vehicle and a second stationary core for inductive charging. Sensors detect the relative position of the cores, and a controller displays directional indicators within the vehicle to help the user move the vehicle for better alignment.
• Claim 26: This claim pertains to a vehicle charger with a controller and two electrical connectors on different sides of the vehicle. Both connectors are designed for detachable connection to an external power cord.
• Claim 27: This claim outlines a method for controlling charging of multiple vehicles. It involves establishing communication with each vehicle's charger, obtaining a desired charging completion time from each, and then adjusting the power supply to the chargers based on these completion times.

Litigation Status:
As of April 26, 2026, a search for US11508996 in the CAFC 2026 dockets did not yield any specific results for this patent. However, the Google Patents information for US11508996 indicates that the "Family has litigation," with a US case filed in the Texas Western District Court. The provided search result for "CAFC 2026 dockets US11508996" showed information about a different lawsuit (StratFS, LLC, et al. vs. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, et al.) and not directly related to patent 11508996. Therefore, while there is ongoing litigation for the patent family, there is no direct evidence of a CAFC docket entry specifically for US11508996 in 2026 from the performed search at this time.