Distribution network and method and device for regulating electric current from the network

• US 5,903,064 A
• Filed: 01/28/1997
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vattenfall AB (Government of Sweden)
• Original Assignee: Vattenfall AB (Government of Sweden)
• Inventors: Norberg, Calle
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US08/765,219
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 307/1, 307/126, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/11, 307/31, 307/40, 361/171, 361/172, 340/310.01, 340/310.06, 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.35, 340/932.2, 340/933, 235/381, 235/382, 364/479.01, 364/479.02, 395/218, 180/65.1, 320/2, 320/DIG. 1, 320/137, 320/104, 320/106, 705/16, 705/18, 705/23
• US Class Current: 307/40
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/08 Methods and devices for control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/32 by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• 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: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 : the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• 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 90/14 : 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 : using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

The present invention relates to a distribution network comprising electric wires (5) for distribution of electric current, a plurality of tap-off facilities (6) with at least one socket (9) for tapping off electric current to optional power-consuming units (1), and a central computer unit (10) communicating with the individual tap-off facilities. At least some tap-off facilities (6) in the network comprise a switch (13) and a regulating device (11) with a microprocessor (21), a user connecting a power-consuming unit (1) to one of said tap-off facilities being identifiable to the central computer unit (10) or to the regulating device (11) via a microprocessor in the power-consuming unit, and the regulating device, in case of accepted identification, keeping the switch (13) closed and permitting tap-off of electric current from the socket (9), whereas, in case of non-accepted identification, the regulating device keeps the switch open and prevents tap-off of electric current form the socket (9). The invention also related to a device and a method for respectively permitting and preventing current supply from the network.

Claims

1. A distribution network comprising:

electric wires for distributing electric current,

a plurality of tap-off facilities with at least one socket means for tapping off electric current to optional power-consuming units, and a central computer unit communicating with the individual tap-off facilities, wherein at least some tap-off facilities in the network comprise a switch and a regulating device with a microprocessor, a user connecting a power-consuming unit to one of said tap-off facilities being identifiable to the central computer unit or to the regulating device via a microprocessor in the power-consuming unit, and the regulating device, in case of accepted identification, keeping the switch closed and permitting tap-off of electric current from the socket means, whereas, in case of non-accepted identification, the regulating device keeps the switch open and prevents tap-off of electric current from the socket means and further wherein communication occurs wholly or partly via signals superimposed on the distribution network.

2. The distribution network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tap-off facility comprises an electricity meter.

3. The distribution network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tap-off facility comprises a time meter.

4. The distribution network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of central computer units are connected to a master computer.

5. The distribution network as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of computer units are connected to a master computer.

6. The distribution network as claimed in claim 3, wherein a plurality of computer units are connected to a master computer.

7. A method for regulating the feeding of electric current to a power-consuming unit, comprising the steps of:

connecting the power-consuming unit to a tap-off facility in a distribution network,

identifying a user by sending an identification signal from a microprocessor in the power-consuming unit to a central computer unit or a microprocessor-containing regulating device,

closing, in case of accepted identification, a switch and permitting tap-off of electric current, but, in case of non-accepted identification, opening the switch and thus switching off the current, wherein said identification signal is sent over a same connection as said electric current,

measuring consumed electric energy or a time period during which the power-consuming unit is connected,

charging, on the basis of the identification signal, a person liable for payment in respect of the used power-consuming unit for the consumed electric energy.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of:

keeping, in the unloaded state, the switch in an open switching-off position, and sensing the connecting of a power-consuming unit to the network in order to instantaneously switch on the current and permit identification.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

keeping said switch open until said power-consuming unit is connected to said tap-off facility.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

communicating information signals between said central computer unit and said tap-off facility using said distribution network.

11. A distribution network for electrical current comprising:

wires for distributing electrical current;

a central computer for controlling said network;

a tap-off facility connected to said wires and including;

an output socket for supplying said electrical current;

a switch for controlling supply of said electrical current to said output socket;

a regulating device for operating said switch; and

means for authorizing supply of current to said output socket using identification signals transmitted, at least in part, through said output socket, wherein one of said central computer and said regulating device permit supply of said electrical current to said output socket by placing or maintaining said switch in a closed state when said identification signals indicate an authorized condition.

12. The network of claim 11, wherein said tap-off facility further comprises:

a plurality of output sockets; and

a plurality of switches, each associated with one of said plurality of output sockets, wherein said regulating device individually controls said plurality of switches.

13. A regulating device for regulating supply of electrical current to an output socket comprising:

a switch for controlling supply of said electrical current to said output socket;

a sensing circuit for sensing connection of a power-consuming unit to said output socket; and

means, responsive to an indication from said sensing circuit, for communicating identification signals along a path including said output socket from said power-consuming unit to said regulating device and selectively closing said switch based on said identification signals to supply said electrical current to said output socket.

14. The regulating device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an electricity meter on a time meter.

15. The regulating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the switch consists of a semiconductor relay.

16. The regulating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the socket means is completely dead in its unloaded state, closing of the switch being carried out by connecting an external current source which preferably is arranged in the power-consuming unit.

17. The regulating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the output socket in its unloaded state is supplied with a voltage which is lower than the nominal voltage of the network for the purpose of reducing the risk of accidents, but permitting identification.

18. The regulating device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the switch consists of a semiconductor relay.

19. The regulating device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the socket output is completely dead in its unloaded state, closing of the switch being carried out by connecting an external current source which preferably is arranged in the power-consuming unit.

20. The regulating device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the output socket in its unloaded state is supplied with a voltage which is lower than the nominal voltage of the network for the purpose of reducing the risk of accidents, but permitting identification.

21. The regulating device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the output socket in its unloaded state is supplied with a voltage which is lower than the nominal voltage of the network for the purpose of reducing the risk of accidents, but permitting identification.

22. A distribution system for supplying electrical current to power-consuming units comprising:

wires for distributing electrical current;

a central computer for controlling said system;

a tap-off facility connected to said wires and including;

an output socket for supplying said electrical current;

a switch for controlling supply of said electrical current to said output socket;

a regulating device for operating said switch;

a power-consuming unit connected to said output socket;

means, associated with one of said central computer and said regulating device, for receiving identifying information associated with said power-consuming unit through a path including said output socket and for selectively supplying electrical current to said power-consuming device through said output socket in response to evaluation of said identifying information.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said tap-off facility further comprises:

a plurality of output sockets; and

a plurality of switches, each associated with one of said plurality of output sockets, wherein said regulating device individually controls said plurality of switches.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said power-consuming unit includes a microprocessor providing said identifying information.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said microprocessor is housed in an adaptor which is removable from said power-consuming unit.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein said power-consuming unit includes a reading device for reading identifying information from an external medium and supplying said identifying information to said system via said output socket.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said external medium is a card including a microprocessor.

28. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for communicating information signals between said central computer and said tap-off facility using said wires for distributing electrical current.

29. A regulating device for regulating supply of electrical current to an output socket comprising:

a switch for controlling supply of said electrical current to said output socket;

a sensing circuit for sensing connection of a power-consuming unit to said output socket and receiving identification signals from said power-consuming unit via said output socket; and

means, responsive to an indication from said sensing circuit, for keeping said switch in an opened state until said power-consuming unit is connected to said output socket, whereby said electrical current is not flowing to said output socket and only closing said switch to supply said electrical current to said output socket when said power-consuming unit is connected thereto and a proper identification is provided.