CONTROL PILOT VEHICLE INTERFACE WITH NON-LOCAL RETURN TO GROUND

• US 20130176002A1
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Ghabbour, Youssef, Acea, Miguel Angel
• Granted Patent: US 9,112,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/163
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle interface is contemplated to be operable with an Electronic Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) system and a vehicle charging system to facilitate vehicle charging related operations. The vehicle interface may include one or more switches and a charger controller configured to facilitate communications between the EVSE system and the vehicle charging system. The vehicle interface may be configured to adapted to common mode interference and other influences resulting from connections between the vehicle interface and EVSE being referenced to earth ground and connections between the vehicle interface and other vehicle electronics being reference to a vehicle chassis ground.

Claims

1. A vehicle interface operable with a vehicle charging system and an Electronic Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) system, the vehicle charging system inverting AC energy from the EVSE system to facilitate charging a high voltage DC battery of a vehicle, the EVSE system delivering the AC energy to the vehicle charging system when a first reference voltage is received and preventing delivery of the AC energy when a second reference voltage is received, the vehicle interface comprising:

a control pilot input operable to receive a control pilot signal from the EVSE system;

an earth ground input operable to connect to an earth ground of the EVSE system;

a shunt input operable to connect the earth ground input in series with a shunt to a vehicle chassis ground;

a reference circuit operable to set the first and second reference voltages, the voltage reference circuit including;

i) a first resistor connected in series between the control pilot input and the earth ground input;

ii) a first switch, a second resistor, and a second switch connected in series and in parallel to the first resistor, the first and second switches each being independently operable between an open position and a closed position;

iii) wherein the reference circuit facilitates the first reference voltage when both of the first and second switches are closed and the control pilot signal is received at the control pilot input; and

iv) wherein the reference circuit facilitates the second reference voltage when either one of the first and second switches is open and the control pilot signal is received at the input.

2. The vehicle interface of claim 1 further comprising:

a first driver configured to output a first signal to the first switch to control the first switch between the open position and the closed position; and

a second driver configured to output a second signal to the second switch to control the second switch between the open position and the closed position.

3. The vehicle interface of claim 2 wherein each of the first driver and the second driver are constant current generators.

4. The vehicle interface of claim 2 wherein each of the first driver and the second driver are grounded to the vehicle chassis ground.

5. The vehicle interface of claim 4 wherein each of the first resistor and the second switch connect to the earth ground input, thereby characterizing the first resistor and the second switch as being grounded to the earth ground.

6. The vehicle interface of claim 2 wherein the first driver and the second driver are included as at least a part of a charger controller, the charger controller bypassing the shunt to be connected directly to the vehicle chassis.

7. The vehicle interface of claim 1 wherein a reference circuit ground is equal to the earth ground, the reference circuit ground being different from the vehicle chassis ground in proportion to the shunt.

8. The vehicle interface of claim 2 wherein the first driver includes a first input, a second input, a third input, a third resistor, a fourth resistor, a fifth resistor, a sixth resistor, a seventh resistor, an eighth resistor, a third switch, a fourth switch, a fifth switch, a first capacitor, and a second capacitor connected such that:

i) the first input receives a first voltage from a low voltage battery of the vehicle;

ii) the second input receives a second voltage from a first voltage regulator of the vehicle charging system;

iii) the third input receives first control pilot controller (CPC) signal from a control pilot controller associated with the vehicle charging system;

iv) a collector of the third switch is connected in series with the third resistor and the first input;

v) a base of the third switch is connected in series with the second input;

vi) an emitter of the third switch is connected in series with the fourth resistor to the third input;

vii) an emitter of the fourth switch is connected in series with the fifth resistor and the first input;

viii) a base of the fourth switch is connected in series with the third resistor and the first input;

ix) a base of the fifth switch connected in series with a collector of the fourth switch;

x) the sixth resistor and the first capacitor are connected in parallel between the collector and an emitter of the fifth switch;

xi) the sixth resistor and the first capacitor are connected in series with the shunt;

xii) the emitter of fifth switch is connected in series with the shunt;

xiii) a collector of the fifth switch is connected in series with the seventh and eighth resistors to the control pilot input;

xiv) the seventh resistor and the second capacitor are connected in parallel and in series with the ninth resistor across a source and a gate of the first switch;

wherein the first driver controls the first switch to the closed position when the first CPC signal is low; and

wherein the first driver controls the first switch to the open position when the first CPC signal is high.

9. The vehicle interface of claim 2 wherein the second driver includes a fourth input, a fifth input, and a sixth input, a tenth resistor, an eleventh resistor, a twelfth resistor, a thirteenth resistor, a sixth switch, a seventh switch and a third capacitor connected such that:

i) the fourth input receives a third voltage from a low voltage battery of the vehicle

ii) the fifth input receives a fourth voltage from a second voltage regulator of the vehicle charging system;

iii) the sixth input receives a second CPC signal from a control pilot controller associated with the vehicle charging system;

iv) a collector of the sixth switch is connected in series with the tenth resistor to the fourth input;

v) a base of the sixth switch is connected in series with the fifth input;

vi) an emitter of the sixth switch is connected in series with the eleventh resistor to the sixth input;

vii) a collector of the seventh switch is connected in series with the twelfth resistor to the fourth input;

viii) a base of the seventh switch is connected in series with the tenth resistor to the fourth input;

ix) a base of the second switch is connected in series with the collector of the seventh switch;

x) the thirteenth resistor and the third capacitor are connected in parallel between the base and emitter of the second switch and in series with the shunt;

xi) the emitter of the second switch is connected in series with the shunt;

xii) a collector of the second switch is connected in series with the second resistor and a drain of the first switch;

wherein the second driver controls the second switch to the closed position when the second CPC signal is low; and

wherein the second driver controls the second switch to the open position when the second CPC signal is high.

10. A charger controller operable with a reference circuit, the reference circuit being connected in series with a shunt to a vehicle chassis ground of a vehicle, the reference circuit being configured to generate one of a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage in response to receipt of a control pilot signal from an Electronic Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) system, the reference circuit having a control pilot input operable to receive the control pilot signal of the EVSE system and an earth ground input operable to connect to an earth ground of the EVSE system, the reference circuit further including a first resistor connected in series between the control pilot input and the earth ground input, the reference circuit further including a first switch, a second resistor, and a second switch connected in series and in parallel to the first resistor, the first and second switches each being independently operable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the reference circuit generates the first reference voltage when both of the first and second switches are closed and the control pilot signal is received at the input, wherein the reference circuit generates the second reference voltage when either one of the first and second switches is open and the control pilot signal is received at the input, the charger controller comprising:

a first driver for controlling the first switch between the open and closed positions;

a second driver for controlling the second switch between the open and closed positions; and

a power supply for powering the first and second drivers, the power supply bypassing the shunt to be connected directly to the vehicle chassis ground.

11. The charger controller claim 10 wherein the vehicle chassis ground corresponds with a negative terminal of a low voltage battery included within the vehicle and the shunt causes the earth ground input to be greater than the vehicle chassis ground.

12. The charger controller of claim 10 wherein the second switch is connected in series with the shunt.

13. The charger controller of claim 10 wherein the first driver includes a first input, a second input, a third input, a third resistor, a fourth resistor, a fifth resistor, a sixth resistor, a seventh resistor, an eighth resistor, a third switch, a fourth switch, a fifth switch, a first capacitor, and a second capacitor connected such that:

i) the first input receives a first voltage from a low voltage battery of the vehicle;

ii) the second input receives a second voltage from a first voltage regulator of the vehicle charging system;

iii) the third input receives first control pilot controller (CPC) signal from a control pilot controller associated with the vehicle charging system;

iv) a collector of the third switch is connected in series with the third resistor and the first input;

v) a base of the third switch is connected in series with the second input;

vi) an emitter of the third switch is connected in series with the fourth resistor to the third input;

vii) an emitter of the fourth switch is connected in series with the fifth resistor and the first input;

viii) a base of the fourth switch is connected in series with the third resistor and the first input;

ix) a base of the fifth switch connected in series with a collector of the fourth switch;

x) the sixth resistor and the first capacitor are connected in parallel between the collector and an emitter of the fifth switch;

xi) the sixth resistor and the first capacitor are connected in series with the shunt;

xii) the emitter of fifth switch is connected in series with the shunt;

xiii) a collector of the fifth switch is connected in series with the seventh and eighth resistors to the control pilot input;

xiv) the seventh resistor and the second capacitor are connected in parallel and in series with the ninth resistor across a source and a gate of the first switch;

wherein charger controller is configured to output the first CPC signal as low to control the first driver to control the first switch to the closed position; and

wherein charger controller is configured to output the first CPC signal as high to controller the first driver to control the first switch to the open position.

14. The charger controller of claim 10 wherein the second driver includes a fourth input, a fifth input, and a sixth input, a tenth resistor, an eleventh resistor, a twelfth resistor, a thirteenth resistor, a sixth switch, a seventh switch and a third capacitor connected such that:

i) the fourth input receives a third voltage from a low voltage battery of the vehicle

ii) the fifth input receives a fourth voltage from a second voltage regulator of the vehicle charging system;

iii) the sixth input receives a second CPC signal from a control pilot controller associated with the vehicle charging system;

iv) a collector of the sixth switch is connected in series with the tenth resistor to the fourth input;

v) a base of the sixth switch is connected in series with the fifth input;

vi) an emitter of the sixth switch is connected in series with the eleventh resistor to the sixth input;

vii) a collector of the seventh switch is connected in series with the twelfth resistor to the fourth input;

viii) a base of the seventh switch is connected in series with the tenth resistor to the fourth input;

ix) a base of the second switch is connected in series with the collector of the seventh switch;

x) the thirteenth resistor and the third capacitor are connected in parallel between the base and emitter of the second switch and in series with the shunt;

xi) the emitter of the second switch is connected in series with the shunt;

xii) a collector of the second switch is connected in series with the second resistor and a drain of the first switch;

wherein charger controller is configured to output the second CPC signal as low to control the second driver to control the second switch to the closed position; and

wherein charger controller is configured to output the second CPC signal as high to controller the second driver to control the second switch to the open position.

15. A vehicle charging system operable with an Electronic Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) system configured to facilitate charging a high voltage battery included within a vehicle, the vehicle having a low voltage battery with a positive terminal and a negative terminal where the negative terminal defining a vehicle chassis ground, the system comprising:

a reference circuit configured to receive a control pilot signal output from the EVSE, the reference circuit processing the control pilot signal to generate at least one of a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage, the reference circuit having a reference circuit ground equal to an earth ground of the EVSE system;

a shunt configured to connect the reference circuit in series with the vehicle chassis ground, wherein current through the shunt causes the reference circuit ground to be different froman the vehicle chassis ground; and

a charger controller operable to control the reference circuit to generate the at least one of the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage, the charger controller bypassing the shunt to be connected directly to the vehicle chassis ground.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the charger controller includes at least one voltage regulator configured to facilitate powering at least a first switch and a second switch of the reference circuit, the at least one voltage regulator bypassing the shunt be connected and referenced directly to the vehicle chassis ground.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein at least one of the first switch and the second switch is connected in series with the shunt.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the first switch is connected in series with the second switch such that an output of the second switch is directly connected to the shunt.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the at least one voltage regulator is configured to power constant current generators associated with each of the first switch and the second switch.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein a charger controller ground is equal to the vehicle chassis ground.