EVSE energy management system retrofit coupling

• US 10,230,198 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Jefferies, Kevin M, Edwards, Benjamin W, White, Matthew L, Filippenko, Konstantin Alexander, Weiler, Richard Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/279,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20180086213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320108, 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6272 comprising a single latching arm
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6691 with built-in signalling means H01R13/717 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

An adapter which can be retrofit onto the downstream end of a standard Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment connector is used to control power consumption of an Electric Vehicle charging facility by intercepting the Control Pilot Signal going to the Electric Vehicle and issuing a new Control Pilot Signal to the Electric Vehicle which is particularly tailored for the present use, requirements and limitations of the delivery system capability. The adapter has wireless communication capability, requires no wiring to and from the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, is independent of any proprietary designs of the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment and adds no constraints or requirements to the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment.

Claims

1. A retrofit coupling for an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment charging connector in an Electric Vehicle charging system using a standard protocol which can be retrofit downstream of the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment as a link between the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment and the Electric Vehicle to distribute available power in a power delivery infrastructure between multiple Electric Vehicle loads, or to control a single Electric Vehicle'"'"'s load consumption, comprising:

a) a body that fits onto the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment charging connector and Electric Vehicle receptacle, the body having;

an input portion for accepting a standard Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment charging connector and an output portion for fitting to a standard Electric Vehicle receptacle;

the body further having;

b) a wireless communications transceiver for communicating with energy providers and/or other retrofit couplings;

c) Connection electronics to manage Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment-to-retrofit coupling-to-Electric Vehicle connection protocol according to the standard protocol, including a proximity measurement module to determine if a handle of the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment is attached to the retrofit coupling;

a proximity circuit and a connector latch;

to generate proximity signals from the retrofit coupling to the Electric Vehicle;

d) Offer electronics for determining a present power supply availability and a current Electric Vehicle demand; and

dynamically controlling a charge rate offer of the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, including;

i. a current measurement module to measure how much current the Electric Vehicle is drawing;

ii. an Energy Management Controller for processing data within the retrofit coupling and sending instructions for new offer signal generation to an offer signal generator;

iii. an Upstream Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment pilot measurement and control module to read a charge rate offer signal coming from the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, report offer signal data to the Energy Management Controller, and send a request charge command; and

iv. an offer signal generator module to generate a new offer signal, and send the new offer signal to the Electric Vehicle, according to a decision algorithm implemented by the Energy Management Controller which determines the charge rate offer to the Electric Vehicle using calculations based on at least one of an existing charge rate offer of the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, the electrical capacity of the power delivery infrastructure, or the state of consumption of each adapter within the power delivery infrastructure, whereby;

e) the offer signal to the Electric Vehicle at each retrofit coupling within a charging system may be dynamically controlled.

2. A method of controlling power from an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment to an Electric Vehicle including:

attaching the retrofit coupling according to claim 1 to both a connector of the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment and a receptacle of the Electric Vehicle such that the retrofit coupling is physically located between the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment and the Electric Vehicle;

verifying a proximity signal;

intercepting a control pilot signal of the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment;

intercepting any charging-related information from the attached Electric Vehicle, wirelessly receiving and sending data concerning at least one of Electric Vehicle current consumption, control pilot signals, or proximity measurements from all retrofit couplings, and wirelessly receiving data from an energy provider entity, and

determining, configuring, and sending a new control pilot signal, and proximity signal, from the retrofit coupling to the Electric Vehicle.