METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRICITY TO MULTIPLE LOADS WITH CURRENT MEASUREMENTS

• US 20180111493A1
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Published: 04/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
• Inventors: Chan, Alex Wing Hong, Chong, Ming Pui, Lam, King Shan, Kwok, Chi Leong
• Granted Patent: US 10,471,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• 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 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/10 Measuring sum, difference or ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• 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 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• 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 20/221 : General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

To prevent theft and/or leakage of electricity and to distribute electricity for recharging electric vehicles, the present invention discloses methods and systems for enabling and disabling a plurality of relays at a system. The system comprises a power supply, at least one ammeter, a power supply enabler and at least one power controller. The required steps include measuring current drawn by the plurality of loads by one or more ammeters. The power controller independently enables or disables each of the plurality of relays according to the instructions received. The power supply enabler enables or disables power supply to the system substantially based on the amount of current being drawn by the system.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling electricity supply to a plurality of electric vehicle (EV) chargers at a power supply enabler (PSE), wherein each of the plurality of EV chargers is connected with one power controller respectively, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving measurements of amount of current supplied through plurality of power controllers respectively;

b) determining a total amount of current supplied, wherein the total amount of current supplied is not smaller than sum of the amount of current supplied from through plurality of power controllers;

c) adjusting value of a first current threshold according to a scheduler;

d) when the total amount of current supplied is above a first threshold;

i. selecting one or more power controllers to be disabled;

ii. sending a disabling message to each of the one or more power controllers to be disabled, wherein the disabling messages are for instructing the one or more power controllers to be disabled to disable their respective relays;

e) when the total amount of current supplied is below a second threshold;

iii. selecting one or more power controllers to be enabled;

iv. enabling one or more power controllers to be enabled;

v. sending an enabling message to each of the one or more power controllers to be enabled, wherein the enabling messages are for instructing the one or more power controllers to be enabled to enable their respective relays.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an expected change of total amount of current supplied before performing before performing steps d(i) and e(i).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurements of amount of current supplied through the plurality of power controllers are sent by the plurality of power controllers through wireless communications technologies respectively.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling message contains a disabling threshold, wherein a power controller to be disabled disables its relay when measurement of amount of current supplied through the power controller is more than the disabling threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling threshold is 5% to 15% more than measurement of amount of current supported through the power controller to be disabled.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step c is performed substantially based on the power consumption expected to be drawn and a scheduler.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the total amount of current supplied is within a safety threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective relay is comprised of a first relay and a second relay and wherein the second relay is controlled by the first relay.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the enabling message is sent after a user is authenticated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the power controller has a SIM card slot.

11. A system for scheduling electricity supply to a plurality of electric vehicle (EV) chargers at a power supply enabler (PSE), wherein each of the plurality of EV chargers is connected with one power controller respectively, comprising:

one or more storage mediums for storing program instructions to be executed;

one or more network interfaces for sending instructions through wireless communications network;

one or more processing units for executing program instructions;

for methods comprising the steps of;

a) receiving measurements of amount of current supplied through plurality of power controllers respectively;

b) determining a total amount of current supplied, wherein the total amount of current supplied is not smaller than sum of the amount of current supplied from through plurality of power controllers;

c) adjusting value of a first current threshold according to a scheduler;

d) when the total amount of current supplied is above a first threshold;

i. selecting one or more power controllers to be disabled;

ii. sending a disabling message to each of the one or more power controllers to be disabled, wherein the disabling messages are for instructing the one or more power controllers to be disabled to disable their respective relays;

e) when the total amount of current supplied is below a second threshold;

iii. selecting one or more power controllers to be enabled;

iv. enabling one or more power controllers to be enabled;

v. sending an enabling message to each of the one or more power controllers to be enabled, wherein the enabling messages are for instructing the one or more power controllers to be enabled to enable their respective relays.

12. The system of claim 11, the processing unit further operable of determining an expected change of total amount of current supplied before performing before performing steps d(i) and e(i).

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the measurements of amount of current supplied through the plurality of power controllers are sent by the plurality of power controllers through wireless communications technologies respectively.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the disabling message contains a disabling threshold, wherein a power controller to be disabled disables its relay when measurement of amount of current supplied through the power controller is more than the disabling threshold

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the disabling threshold is 5% to 15% more than measurement of amount of current supported through the power controller to be disabled.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the step c is performed substantially based on the power consumption expected to be drawn and a scheduler.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the total amount of current supplied is within a safety threshold.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein a respective relay is comprised of a first relay and a second relay and wherein the second relay is controlled by the first relay.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the enabling message is sent after a user is authenticated.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the power controller has a SIM card slot.