VEHICLE CHARGING DEVICE AND VEHICLE CHARGING SYSTEM USING SAME

• US 20130026988A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Igata, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 9,083,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle charging device that can perform communication even if the vehicle charging device and a charging instruction device are connected to power line pairs having different phases in a multiple-wire power line. The vehicle charging device (6) is provided with: a power line communication unit (61) that performs communication over a multiple-wire power line or a power line (7) for vehicles; a power line connection unit (63) that connects a pair of power lines within the multiple-wire power line to the power line (7) for vehicles; and a control unit (62) that controls the connection or the disconnection of the power line connection unit (63). The power line communication unit (61) selects a signal from a pair of power lines within the multiple-wire power line and communicates with the charging instruction device, and performs communication with the vehicle over the power line (7) for vehicles.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging apparatus that performs communication with a communication apparatus and performs charging of a vehicle, the communication apparatus performing power line communication via a power line that includes at least three conducting wires, the vehicle charging apparatus comprising:

a communication section that receives a signal transmitted from the communication apparatus via a pair of conducting wires within the power line; and

a switching section that switches the pair of conducting wires based on the signal received by the communication section.

2. The vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle power line used for charging the vehicle;

a power line connection section that performs connection or disconnection between the power line and the vehicle power line; and

a control section that controls connection or disconnection of the power line connection section based on the signal received by the communication section.

3. The vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication section performs communication with the vehicle.

4. The vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first couplers connected to mutually different pairs of conducting wires within the power line via respective capacitors; and

a second coupler that is connected to the communication section, and is also connected to the vehicle power line via a capacitor,

wherein the switching section selects and is connected to any one of the plurality of first couplers.

5. The vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a signal processing section that decodes the signal received by the communication section.

6. The vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching section selects the pair of conducting wires based on a strength of the signal received by the communication section.

7. The vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching section selects the pair of conducting wires based on an error rate of the signal received by the communication section.

8. The vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching section selects the pair of conducting wires based on a communication speed of the signal received by the communication section.

9. The vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control section controls the power line connection section so as to be in a connecting state when the communication section receives a signal indicating permission of charging from the communication apparatus, and controls the power line connection section so as to be in a disconnecting state when the communication section receives a signal indicating non-permission of charging from the communication apparatus.

10. The vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage section that stores correspondence between the pair of conducting wires selected by the switching section and address information corresponding to the communication apparatus, wherein:

the communication section reads the address information from the signal transmitted from the communication apparatus; and

the switching section switches the pair of conducting wires based on the address information read by the communication section.

12. A vehicle charging system comprising:

the vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1; and

a communication apparatus connected to a power line that includes at least three conducting wires,

wherein the vehicle charging apparatus performs charging of a vehicle based on a signal transmitted from the communication apparatus.

11. A vehicle charging method that performs communication with a communication apparatus and performs charging of a vehicle, the communication apparatus performing power line communication via a power line that includes at least three conducting wires, the vehicle charging method comprising:

receiving a signal transmitted from the communication apparatus via a pair of conducting wires within the power line; and

switching the pair of conducting wires based on the received signal.