METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A VEHICLE AND A CHARGING STATION FOR UNLOCKING MECHANICAL CHARGING CABLE COUPLING

• US 20150108947A1
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: HEUER, JOERG, WINTER, MARTIN
• Granted Patent: US 9,688,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/30 Preventing theft during charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• 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 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6397 with means for preventing unauthorised use
• 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 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A method for communicating between an electric vehicle and a charging station for electrically charging at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle is connected to the charging station during the charging process by a lockable mechanical coupling between a terminal of charging cable connected to the vehicle and a terminal of the charging station. Charging current is fed from the charging station through the charging cable. Information is transferred in the course of the charging process based on a communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station. The information includes a signal transmitted from the electric vehicle to the charging station for locking and/or unlocking the mechanical coupling. The signal triggers the locking and/or unlocking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal at the charging station.

Claims

1. A communication method between an electric vehicle and a charging station,

wherein, during a charging operation for electrically charging the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle is connected to the charging station via a lockable mechanical coupling between a terminal of a charging cable connected to the electric vehicle and a terminal of the charging station, and charging current is supplied from the charging station to at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle through the charging cable,

the method comprising:

transmitting information over a course of the charging operation for communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station;

thereby transmitting a signal from the electric vehicle to the charging station for unlocking the mechanical coupling, to thereby trigger in the charging station an unlocking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station via the signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises coupling the signal for unlocking the mechanical coupling to a signal relating to at least one of the charging operation or a state of charge of the energy storage device.

3. The method according to claim 2, which comprises coupling the signal for unlocking the mechanical coupling to a signal relating to at least one of a start of the charging operation, an end of the charging operation, an application and/or safety-disconnection of a voltage on the charging cable by the charging station.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal for unlocking the mechanical coupling is decoupled from a signal relating to the charging operation and to a signal relating to a state of charge of the at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 4, which comprises indicating to the charging station a plurality of states of the electric vehicle via the monitoring connection, the states including a first state, which indicates that the electric vehicle is ready for charging at least one of its energy storage devices, and a second state, which indicates that the at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle is being charged via the charging cable, with a change between the first and second states representing the signal via which a locking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station is triggered, and a change from the second state into the first state representing the signal via which the unlocking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station is triggered.

6. The method according to claim 4, which comprises transmitting authentication data for performing the authentication via a monitoring connection in the charging cable, and then performing the authentication via at least one of a PLC communication connection in the charging cable or a communication connection that is isolated from the charging cable.

7. The method according to claim 1, which comprises using one or more of the following communication connections for communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station, and transmitting the signal for unlocking the mechanical coupling via at least one of the following communication connections:

a PLC communication connection through one or more current-conducting lines of the charging cable;

a monitoring connection that is isolated from the current-conducting lines in the charging cable; and

a communication connection which is isolated from the charging cable.

8. The method according to claim 7, which comprises communicating by way of the information transmission via the PLC communication connection on a packet basis or the communication connection that is isolated from the charging cable on a packet basis, and/or transmitting information via the monitoring connection in the charging cable by way of pulse-width modulation or amplitude modulation.

9. The method according to claim 1, which comprises transmitting the signal through a wireless communication connection.

10. The method according to claim 1, which comprises, over the course of the communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station, performing an authentication of the electric vehicle with respect to the charging station, and transmitting the signal for unlocking the mechanical coupling from the electric vehicle to the charging station only when authentication is successful.

11. The method according to claim 1, which comprises transmitting the signal for unlocking the mechanical coupling in response to an actuation of a central locking of the electric vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 1, which comprises transmitting the signal for unlocking the mechanical coupling in response to an actuation of a switch in the electric vehicle.

15. An electric vehicle configured for use in the method according to claim 1, the electric vehicle comprising:

at least one energy storage device;

a connection wherein the electric vehicle is connected, during a charging operation, to a charging station for electrically charging said at least one energy storage device by way of a lockable mechanical coupling between a terminal of a charging cable connected to the electric vehicle and a terminal of the charging station, whereupon charging current is supplied from the charging station through the charging cable and to the at least one energy storage device;

a communication control unit configured to transmit information to the charging station during a course of the charging operation on the basis of a communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station;

said communication control unit being configured to transmit a predetermined signal to the charging station, intended exclusively for unlocking the mechanical coupling, in order to trigger an unlocking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station in the charging station.

16. The electric vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said communication control unit transmits the predetermined signal upon one or both of an actuation of the central locking of the electric vehicle or a switch in the electric vehicle.

17. A charging station configured for use in the method according to claim 1 for electrically charging at least one energy storage device of an electric vehicle, the charging station comprising:

a charging station terminal for connection, via a lockable mechanical coupling, with a terminal of a charging cable connected to the electric vehicle, wherein the electric vehicle is connected via the lockable mechanical coupling in order to supply charging current from the charging station to the at least one energy storage device during a charging operation; and

a communication control unit configured to receive information over the course of the charging operation based on a communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station;

said communication control unit being configured to selectively triggering an unlocking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and said terminal of the charging station upon receiving a predetermined signal transmitted from the electric vehicle to the charging station.

13. A system for communication between an electric vehicle and a charging station for electrically charging at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle, wherein the electric vehicle is connected, during a charging process, to the charging station via a lockable mechanical coupling between a terminal of a charging cable connected to the electric vehicle and a terminal of the charging station in order to supply charging current through the charging cable from the charging station to the at least one energy storage device, the system comprising:

a first communication control unit for the electric vehicle;

a second communication control unit for the charging station;

with information being transmitted via the first and second communication control units during operation of the system over the course of a charging operation based on a communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station;

said first and second communication control units being configured such that the information transmitted therebetween includes a signal, generated by said first communication control unit, for unlocking the mechanical coupling; and

wherein said second communication control unit is configured to trigger the unlocking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station via the signal.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the system is configured to carry out and implement a method comprising the following steps:

transmitting information over a course of the charging operation for communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station;

thereby transmitting a signal from the electric vehicle to the charging station for unlocking the mechanical coupling, to thereby trigger in the charging station an unlocking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station via the signal.