Methods and systems for supplying electricity to multiple loads with current measurements

• US 10,471,846 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
• Inventors: Chan, Alex Wing Hong, Chong, Ming Pui, Lam, King Shan, Kwok, Chi Leong
• Primary Examiner(s): Pacheco, Alexis B
• Application Number:
  US15/545,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20180111493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 320109, 320107, 320108, 320134
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/10 Measuring sum, difference or ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• 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 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 : General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

To prevent theft and/or leakage of electricity and to distribute electricity for recharging electric vehicles, the present invention discloses methods and systems for enabling and disabling a plurality of relays at a system. The system comprises a power supply, at least one ammeter, a power supply enabler and at least one power controller. The required steps include measuring current drawn by the plurality of loads by one or more ammeters. The power controller independently enables or disables each of the plurality of relays according to the instructions received. The power supply enabler enables or disables power supply to the system substantially based on the amount of current being drawn by the system.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling electricity supply to a plurality of electric vehicle (EV) chargers at a power supply enabler (PSE), wherein each of the plurality of EV chargers is connected with one power controller respectively, the method comprising:

a) receiving from a plurality of power controllers, measurements of amount of current received by a plurality of loads respectively;

wherein the power controllers are configured to transmit and receive data through mobile communication technology;

wherein the measurements are received through mobile communication technology;

b) determining a difference between a total amount of current supplied and a total amount of current received;

wherein the total amount of current received is based on the measurements from the plurality of power controllers received in step (a);

wherein the total amount of current supplied is retrieved through a current measurement device coupled to the power supply enabler;

c) wherein when the difference is above a first threshold;

i. selecting one or more power controllers to be disabled;

ii. sending a disabling message to each of the one or more power controllers to be disabled, wherein the disabling messages are for instructing the one or more power controllers to be disabled to disable their respective relays;

wherein the disabling messages are sent wirelessly using mobile communication technology;

d) wherein when the difference is below the first threshold;

iii. selecting one or more power controllers to be enabled;

iv. enabling one or more power controllers to be enabled;

v. sending an enabling message to each of the one or more power controllers to be enabled, wherein the enabling messages are for instructing the one or more power controllers to be enabled to enable their respective relays;

wherein the enabling messages are sent wirelessly using mobile communication technology.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an expected change of total amount of current supplied before performing steps c(i) and d(i).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a value of the first threshold according to a scheduler before step (c).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling message contains a disabling threshold, wherein a power controller to be disabled disables its relay when measurement of amount of current supplied through the power controller is more than the disabling threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling threshold is 5% to 15% more than measurement of amount of current supported through the power controller to be disabled.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the value of the first threshold is adjusted by an administrator based on power consumption expected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the total amount of current supplied is within a safety threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective relay is comprised of a first relay and a second relay and wherein the second relay is controlled by the first relay.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the enabling message is sent after a user is authenticated;

wherein the user is authenticated when an identity and an approval information belonging to the user are verified by a remote authentication server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power controllers has a SIM card slot.

11. A system for scheduling electricity supply to a plurality of electric vehicle (EV) chargers at a power supply enabler (PSE), wherein each of the plurality of EV chargers is connected with one power controller respectively, comprising:

one or more storage mediums for storing program instructions to be executed;

one or more network interfaces for sending instructions through wireless communications network;

one or more processing units for executing program instructions;

and a method for scheduling the electricity supply, the method comprising;

a) receiving measurements from a plurality of power controllers of an amount of current received by a plurality of loads respectively;

wherein the power controllers are configured to transmit and receive data through mobile communication technology;

wherein the measurements are received through mobile communication technology;

b) determining a difference between a total amount of current supplied and a total amount of current received;

wherein the total amount of current received is based on the measurements from the plurality of power controllers received in step (a);

wherein the total amount of current supplied is retrieved through a current measurement device coupled to the power supply enabler;

c) wherein when the difference is above a first threshold;

i. selecting one or more power controllers to be disabled;

ii. sending a disabling message to each of the one or more power controllers to be disabled, wherein the disabling messages are for instructing the one or more power controllers to be disabled to disable their respective relays;

wherein the disabling messages are sent wirelessly using mobile communication technology;

d) wherein when the difference is below the first threshold;

iii. selecting one or more power controllers to be enabled;

iv. enabling one or more power controllers to be enabled;

v. sending an enabling message to each of the one or more power controllers to be enabled, wherein the enabling messages are for instructing the one or more power controllers to be enabled to enable their respective relays;

wherein the enabling messages are sent wirelessly using mobile communication technology.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing unit is further operable to determine an expected change of a total amount of current supplied before performing steps c(i) and d(i).

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing unit is further operable to adjust a value of the first threshold according to a scheduler before step (c).

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the disabling message contains a disabling threshold, wherein a power controller to be disabled disables its relay when measurement of amount of current supplied through the power controller is more than the disabling threshold.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the disabling threshold is 5% to 15% more than measurement of amount of current supported through the power controller to be disabled.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the value of the first threshold is adjusted by an administrator based on power consumption expected.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the total amount of current supplied is within a safety threshold.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein a respective relay is comprised of a first relay and a second relay and wherein the second relay is controlled by the first relay.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the enabling message is sent after a user is authenticated;

wherein the user is authenticated when an identity and an approval information belonging to the user are verified by a remote authentication server.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of power controllers has a SIM card slot.