Charging control system and power charging management method thereof

• US 10,498,147 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2018
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AVER Information Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AVER Information Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsu, Chi-Fa, Chang, Chao-Hung, Chou, Lien-Kai, Yu, Cheng-Cheng, Lin, Jy-Shyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US15/994,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20190131801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 320134
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00718 in response to charge current gradient
• 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: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

A power charging management method is cooperated with a charging control system. The charging control system includes a control unit and a plurality of charging zones. The control unit controls the charging zones to turn on or turn off so as to selectively allow a charging power to be provided to the charging zones. The power charging management method includes a system scan procedure, a whole zone charging procedure, a protecting procedure and a subzone charging procedure.

Claims

1. A power charging management method for a charging control system including a control unit and a plurality of charging zones, the control unit controlling the charging zones to turn on or turn off so as to selectively allow a charging power to be provided to the charging zones, the method comprising:

a system scan procedure, comprising;

measuring a subzone current value for each of the charging zones sequentially and summing all of the measured subzone current values to obtain a system current value; and

comparing the system current value with a upper limited current threshold value;

a whole zone charging procedure, which is executed if, in the system scan procedure, the system current value is identified as smaller than the upper limited current threshold value, comprising;

turning on all of the charging zones so as to provide the charging power to all of the charging zones;

measuring the system current value;

comparing the system current value with the upper limited current threshold value; and

measuring the system current value if the system current value is smaller than the upper limited current threshold value; and

a first subzone charging procedure, which is executed if, in the system scan procedure, the system current value is identified as greater than the upper limited current threshold value, comprising;

turning on one of the charging zones so as to provide the charging power to the turned-on charging zone;

comparing a subzone charging time with a predetermined subzone charging time;

determining whether a power level of the turned-on charging zone is full;

determining whether all of the charging zones have ever been turned on if the subzone charging time is equal to the predetermined subzone charging time or if the power level of the turned-on charging zone is full;

turning on another one of the charging zones if not all the charging zones have ever been turned on; and

executing the system scan procedure if all of the charging zones have ever been turned on.

2. The power charging management method of claim 1 further comprises a protecting procedure which is executed if, in the whole zone charging procedure, the system current value is identified as greater than the upper limited current threshold value, the protecting procedure comprising:

turning off all of the charging zones so as to prevent the charging power from being provided to all of the charging zones; and

comparing a whole zone charging time with a predetermined whole zone charging time.

3. The power charging management method of claim 2, wherein the first subzone charging procedure is further executed if, in the protecting procedure, the whole zone charging time is identified as greater than the predetermined whole zone charging time.

4. The power charging management method of claim 2 further comprises a second subzone charging procedure which is executed if, in the protecting procedure, the whole zone charging time is identified as smaller than the predetermined whole zone charging time, the second subzone charging procedure comprising:

turning on one of the charging zones sequentially so as to provide the charging power to the turned-on charging zones;

determining whether all of the charging zones have ever been turned on; and

executing the system scan procedure if all of the charging zones have ever been turned on.

5. The power charging management method of claim 4, wherein the second subzone charging procedure further comprising:

comparing the subzone charging time with the predetermined subzone charging time.

6. The power charging management method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining whether all of the charging zones have ever been turned on is executed if the subzone charging time is identified as equal to the predetermined subzone charging time.

7. The power charging management method of claim 2 further comprises an initial measuring procedure, the initial measuring procedure comprising:

obtaining the system current value;

executing the protecting procedure if the system current value is greater than the upper limited current threshold value; and

executing the system scan procedure or the step of comparing the whole zone charging time with the predetermined whole zone charging time in the protecting procedure, if the system current value is smaller than the upper limited current threshold value.

8. The power charging management method of claim 1, wherein, in the system scan procedure, the step of measuring the subzone current value for each of the charging zones sequentially and summing all of the measured subzone current values to obtain the system current value, further comprising:

turning on one of the charging zones so as to provide the charging power to the turned-on charging zone;

comparing a scan charging time with a predetermined scan charging time;

recording a measured subzone current value of the turned-on charging zone, if the scan charging time is identified as equal to the predetermined scan charging time; and

determining whether all of the charging zones have ever been turned on.

10. The power charging management method of claim 1, wherein the first subzone charging procedure further comprising:

counting a lower limited current charging time.

11. The power charging management method of claim 10, wherein, in the first subzone charging procedure, the step of determining whether a power level of the turned-on charging zone is full, comprising:

comparing the system current value with a lower limited current threshold value;

comparing the lower limited current charging time with a predetermined lower limited current charging time; and

determining the power level of the turned-on charging zone as full if the system current value is smaller than a lower limited current threshold value and, if the lower limited current charging time is equal to the predetermined lower limited current charging time.

12. The power charging management method of claim 10, wherein, in the first subzone charging procedure, the step of determining whether a power level of the turned-on charging zone is full, comprising:

comparing the system current value with a lower limited current threshold value;

comparing the lower limited current charging time with a predetermined lower limited current charging time;

comparing the subzone charging time with a predetermined subzone confirming time; and

determining the power level of the turned-on charging zone as full if the system current value is smaller than a lower limited current threshold value and, if the lower limited current charging time is equal to the predetermined lower limited current charging time.

9. The power charging management method of claim wherein the whole zone charging procedure further comprising:

counting the whole zone charging time.

13. A charging control system, comprising:

a power converting unit, including a input terminal and a output terminal, to receive a charging power through the input terminal and output a direct-current power through the output terminal;

a control unit, being electrically coupled to the output terminal of the power converting unit, to receive the direct-current power and output a switch control signal;

a plurality of driving units, each being electrically coupled to the control unit respectively, to receive the switch control signal;

a plurality of electrically-controlled switch units, each being electrically coupled to a corresponding one of the driving units, wherein the corresponding one of the driving units controls operation of the respective one of the electrically-controlled switch units in response to the switch control signal; and

a current sensing unit, being electrically coupled between the electrically-controlled switch units and the charging power, to detect a system current value and transmit the system current value to the control unit;

wherein if the system current value is smaller than a upper limited current threshold value, the control unit is configured to selectively execute one of a scan charging procedure, a subzone charging procedure and a whole zone charging procedure and output the switch control signal to control operation of the electrically-controlled switch units.

14. The charging control system of claim 13, wherein the subzone charging procedure comprises a first subzone charging procedure and a second subzone charging procedure.

15. The charging control system of claim 13, wherein each one of the electrically-controlled switch units is electrically coupled to at least one power output terminal, the electrically-controlled switch units and the power output terminals are divided into a plurality of charging zones.