Detecting and responding to unexpected electric vehicle charging disconnections

• US 8,680,813 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Inventors: Lowenthal, Richard, Tormey, Milton, Baxter, David, Solomon, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, MANUEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/372,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/DIG.13
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• 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 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• 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

An electrical vehicle charging station establishes a charging session with an electric vehicle which includes energizing a power receptacle in the charging station and receiving a charging cord at the power receptacle. While the charging session is established and responsive to detecting that a charging connection between the electric vehicle and the electric vehicle charging station has been unexpectedly disconnected, the power receptacle is de-energized to prevent electricity from flowing through the charging cord.

Claims

1. A method for preventing electricity from flowing through a charging cord attached to an electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

establishing a charging session with an electric vehicle including allowing electricity to flow through the charging cord to charge an electricity storage device of the electric vehicle;

responsive to detecting a first amount of electricity is flowing through the charging cord over a first amount of time, initializing a charging connection unexpected disconnection detection and response mechanism;

during the charging session and after initializing the charging connection unexpected disconnection detection and response mechanism, performing the following to implement the initialized charging connection unexpected disconnection detection and response mechanism;

responsive to detecting that a charging connection between the electric vehicle and the electric vehicle charging station has been unexpectedly disconnected, preventing electricity from flowing through the charging cord, wherein detecting that the charging connection has been unexpectedly disconnected includes determining that the electricity flowing through the charging cord to charge the electricity storage device of the electric vehicle has dropped below a configurable threshold second amount for a configurable second amount of time, and suspending the charging session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging cord is permanently attached to a power receptacle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging cord is received into a power receptacle from an operator of the electric vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a notification message to be transmitted to an operator associated with the charging session via an email message or a text message responsive to preventing electricity from flowing through the charging cord.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising resuming the suspended charging session upon receiving administrative intervention or receiving intervention from an operator associated with the charging session to resume the suspended charging session.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating the suspended charging session responsive to receiving administrative intervention to terminate the charging session or receiving intervention from an operator associated with the suspended charging session to terminate the charging session.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging connection is unexpectedly disconnected due to the charging cord being disconnected from the electric vehicle while remaining connected to the electric vehicle charging station or being severed while remaining connected to the electric vehicle charging station.

8. An electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a power receptacle;

a charging cord adapted to be attached to the power receptacle and to be connected to an electricity storage device of an electric vehicle;

an electricity control device coupled with the power receptacle to control electricity to the power receptacle;

an electricity measuring device coupled with the power receptacle to measure electricity flowing through the power receptacle to charge the electricity storage device of the electric vehicle;

a charging station controller coupled with the electricity measuring device and the electricity control device, wherein the charging station controller is to perform the following;

establish a charging session with the electric vehicle including causing the electricity control device to energize the power receptacle,

initialize a charging connection unexpected disconnection and response mechanism in response to the electricity measuring device measuring a first threshold amount of electricity flowing through the power receptacle for a first amount of time, wherein the charging connection unexpected disconnection and response mechanism is to;

detect, after the charging connection unexpected disconnection and response mechanism is initialized, that a charging connection to the electric vehicle has been unexpectedly disconnected when the electricity measuring device measuring that the electricity flowing through the power receptacle to charge the electricity storage device of the electric vehicle has dropped below a second threshold amount for a second amount of time, and

responsive to the unexpected disconnection of the charging connection, cause the electricity control device to de-energize the power receptacle, and suspend the charging session.

9. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 8, wherein the electricity measuring device is to measure flow of electric current through the power receptacle.

10. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 8, wherein the electricity measuring device is to measure power draw.

11. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 8, further comprising a display unit to display one or more messages indicating that electricity has been stopped responsive to the electricity control device stopping electricity from flowing to the power receptacle.

12. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 8, wherein the charging station controller is further to cause a notification message to be sent to an operator whose charging session has been interrupted by the electricity control device stopping electricity from flowing to the power receptacle.

13. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 8, wherein the second threshold amount and the second amount of time are each configurable.

14. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 8, wherein the charging station controller is further to resume a suspended charging session upon receipt of administrative intervention or receipt of intervention from an operator associated with the suspended charging session to resume the suspended charging session.

15. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 8, wherein the charging station controller is further to terminate the suspended charging session responsive to receipt of administrative intervention to terminate the charging session or receipt of intervention from an operator associated with the suspended charging session to terminate the charging session.

16. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 8, wherein the charging connection is unexpectedly disconnected due to the charging cord being disconnected from the electric vehicle while remaining connected to the power receptacle of the electric vehicle charging station or being severed while remaining connected to the power receptacle of the electric vehicle charging station.

17. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 8, wherein the charging cord is adapted to be permanently attached to the power receptacle.