ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING SYSTEM WITH PRIORITY CHARGING

• US 20180065496A1
• Filed: 10/27/2017
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyber Switching Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Cyber Switching Patents LLC
• Inventors: REYNOLDS, Charles H., SILORIO, Ronald L.
• Granted Patent: US 11,180,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• 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 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

A first controller can be coupled to a main power supply and deliver a first charging current to an electric vehicle (EV) at a first charging station. The first controller can also deliver power to a second controller that can provide a second charging current to an EV at a second charging station. The first controller turns off the power to the second controller in response to determining that there is an EV charging at the first charging station, and turns on the power to the second controller only in response to determining that an EV is not charging at the first charging station.

Claims

1. A controller for an electric vehicle (EV) charging system, the controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a first channel coupled to the processor; and

a second channel coupled to the processor, wherein the first channel is operable for delivering a first charging current to an EV at a first charging station, wherein the second channel is operable for delivering power to a second controller that is operable for providing a second charging current to an EV at a second charging station, and wherein the processor is programmed to;

turn off the power to the second controller in response to determining that there is an EV charging load on the first channel; and

turn on the power to the second controller only in response to determining that no EV charging load is present on the first channel.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first charging current is provided to the EV at the first charging station until the first charging current drops to a threshold level, and wherein the first charging current is stopped when the threshold level is reached.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first charging current is provided to the EV at the first charging station for an interval of time, and wherein the first charging current is stopped when the interval of time expires.

4. The controller of claim 1, coupled between a dedicated circuit from an electric power supply and the second controller.

5. The controller of claim 4, wherein the first channel comprises a first switch and the second channel comprises a second switch, wherein the first switch is on whenever power is received by the controller from the electric power supply, and wherein the second switch is toggled off when the EV charging load is present on the first channel and is toggled on to deliver the power to the second controller.

6. An electric vehicle (EV) charging system, comprising:

a first controller;

a second controller coupled to the first controller;

a first charging station coupled to the first controller; and

a second charging station coupled to the second controller;

wherein the first controller is operable for delivering a first electrical current to the first charging station and for delivering electrical power to the second controller, wherein the second controller is operable for delivering a second electrical current to an EV at the second charging station, and wherein the first controller is programmed to perform operations comprising;

turning off the electrical power to the second controller in response to determining that there is an EV charging load at the first charging station; and

turning on the electrical power to the second controller only in response to determining that no EV charging load is present at the first charging station.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first electrical current is provided to the first charging station until the first electrical current drops to a threshold level, and wherein the first electrical current is stopped when the threshold level is reached.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first electrical current is provided to the first charging station for an interval of time, and wherein the first electrical current is stopped when the interval of time expires.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first controller is coupled between a dedicated circuit from an electric power supply and the second controller.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first controller comprises a first switch and a second switch, wherein the first switch is on whenever power is received by the first controller from the electric power supply, and wherein the second switch is toggled on and off according to whether the EV charging load is present at the first charging station.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the second charging station is coupled to the second controller between the first controller and the second controller, and wherein the second controller is coupled to a plurality of output connections.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of output connections comprise an output connection comprising a first head and a second head.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the second controller is coupled to the second charging station between the first controller and the second charging station, wherein the second controller comprises a first channel and a second channel, wherein the first channel of the second controller is operable for delivering the second electrical current to the second charging station, and wherein the second channel of the second controller is operable for delivering a third electrical current to a third charging station.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second channel is further operable for delivering a fourth electrical current to a fourth charging station.

15. A method of charging one or more electric vehicles (EVs), the method comprising:

receiving, from an electrical power supply, electrical power at a first controller comprising a first channel and a second channel, wherein the first channel is operable for delivering a first charging current to an EV at a first charging station, and wherein the second channel is operable for delivering at least a portion of the electrical power from the first controller to a second controller that is operable for providing a second charging current to an EV at a second charging station;

the first controller turning off the electrical power to the second channel in response to determining that there is an EV charging load on the first channel; and

the first controller turning on the electrical power to the second channel only in response to determining that no EV charging load is present on the first channel.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

the first controller providing the first charging current to the EV at the first charging station until the first charging current drops to a threshold level; and

the first controller turning off the first charging current when the threshold level is reached.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

the first controller providing the first charging current to the EV at the first charging station for an interval of time; and

the first controller turning off the first charging current when the interval of time expires.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first channel comprises a first switch and the second channel comprises a second switch, and wherein the method further comprises:

the first controller keeping the first switch on whenever power is received by the controller from the electric power supply; and

the first controller toggling the second switch on and off according to whether the EV charging load is present on the first channel.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the second charging station is coupled to the second controller between the first controller and the second controller, and wherein the second controller is coupled to a plurality of output connections.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the second controller is coupled to the second charging station between the first controller and the second charging station, wherein the second controller comprises a first channel and a second channel, wherein the first channel is operable for delivering the second electrical current to the second charging station, and wherein the second channel is operable for delivering a third electrical current to a third charging station.