ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING SYSTEM INTERFACE

• US 20170158071A1
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyber Switching Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cyber Switching Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: REYNOLDS, Charles H., SILORIO, Ronald L.
• Granted Patent: US 11,104,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• 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 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 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 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

An electric vehicle (EV) charging system includes a number of output connections (e.g., cables). Each of the output connections is connected to at least one head, and each head can be connected concurrently to an EV. A charging current is directed to a first one of the output connections if a first EV is connected to a head connected to the first one of the output connections. Then, the charging current to the first one of the output connections can be stopped, switched to a second one of the output connections, and restarted if a second EV is connected to a head connected to the second one of the output connections. A graphical user interface (GUI) is rendered on the display of a computer system. The GUI includes elements that indicate which output connection of the charging station is receiving a charging current.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and managing a network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, the system comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor; and

a display coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is operable for executing instructions that, when executed, render a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display, the GUI comprising;

a plurality of GUI elements representing a charging station in the network, wherein the charging station comprises a plurality of output connections and wherein each of the output connections is couplable to at least one head of a plurality of heads that are connectable to EVs, and wherein further a charging current is provided to only one of the output connections at a time per charging station in accordance with a charging procedure;

wherein the GUI elements visually indicate which output connection of the charging station is receiving a charging current.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the GUI further comprises a graph that indicates amperage versus time for a charging current for a selected output connection of the plurality of output connections.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the GUI further comprises a log of amperages of charging currents for each of the output connections.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the GUI further comprises a map showing locations of the charging stations in the network.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the GUI elements representing the charging station are displayed in response to user selection of one of the locations in the map.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable for executing instructions that, when executed, turn on and turn off a component of the network responsive to user interaction with the GUI, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of:

a selected head of the plurality of heads, a selected output connection of the plurality of output connections, and a selected charging station in the network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the GUI further comprises a visual indicator that is operable to indicate there is a fault associated with an output connection of the plurality of output connections.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor; and

a display coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform a method of monitoring and managing a network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, the method comprising;

receiving information from the network of charging stations, wherein each of the charging stations comprises a plurality of output connections and wherein each of the output connections is couplable to at least one head of a plurality of heads that are concurrently connectable to EVs, wherein further a charging current is provided to only one of the output connections at a time per charging station in accordance with a charging procedure;

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a respective GUI element for each of the charging stations in the network;

receiving a selection of a GUI element for a selected charging station; and

based on the information received from the network of charging stations, displaying information indicating which output connection of the selected charging station is receiving a charging current.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the GUI further comprises a graph based on the information received from the network of charging stations, wherein the graph visually indicates amperage versus time for a charging current for a selected output connection of the plurality of output connections.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the GUI further comprises a log based on the information received from the network of charging stations, wherein the log lists amperages of charging currents for each of the output connections.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the GUI comprises a map showing locations of the charging stations in the network.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises turning on and turning off a component of the network in response to input commands, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of:

a selected head of the plurality of heads, a selected output connection of the plurality of output connections, and a selected charging station in the network.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises displaying an indicator operable to visually indicate there is a fault with an output connection of the plurality of output connections, based on the information received from the network of charging stations.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a communication interface coupled to the processor, wherein the method further comprises sending, to another device, information that indicates which of the charging stations is available to charge an EV.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer system to perform a method of monitoring and managing a network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, the method comprising:

receiving, at the computer system, information from the network of charging stations, wherein each of the charging stations comprises a plurality of output connections and wherein each of the output connections is couplable to at least one head of a plurality of heads that are concurrently connectable to EVs, wherein further a charging current is provided to only one of the output connections at a time per charging station in accordance with a charging procedure;

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a GUI element displayable for each of the charging stations in the network; and

in response to respective commands received via the GUI, turning on and turning off components of the network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the GUI further comprises a graph generated using the information received from the network of charging stations, wherein the graph indicates amperage versus time for a charging current for a selected output connection of the plurality of output connections.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the GUI further comprises a log generated using the information received from the network of charging stations, wherein the log lists amperages of charging currents for each of the output connections.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the GUI comprises a map showing locations of the charging stations in the network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the components are selected from the group consisting of:

a selected head of the plurality of heads, a selected output connection of the plurality of output connections, and a selected charging station in the network.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises, in response to a selection of a charging station received via the GUI, displaying information that indicates which output connection of the charging station is receiving a charging current.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises displaying an indicator operable to indicate there is a fault with an output connection of the plurality of output connections, based on the information received from the network of charging stations.