Electric vehicle power management systems

• US 8,796,881 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Inventors: Davis, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US13/671,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20130217409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 307/69, 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 307/69
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• 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: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/10 The dispersed energy generation being of fossil origin, e.g. diesel generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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 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

A system that enables power flow management for electrical devices, such as electric vehicles. Power flow managers can coordinate charging activities. Power flow decisions may be based on site-level information. Power flow management strategies may be optimized. Power spikes may be avoided by using safe failure modes. Generation stacks may be used for reducing cost. AGC commands are used to control power resources. Power regulation are apportioned to power resources, and power regulation ranges may be determined. Power flow strategies are implemented in response to changes in intermittent power flow. Locations of devices may be determined using network fingerprints. Power flow measurements are determined, and AC power flows are inferred from DC power flows. Network traffic consumption are minimized. Communication protocols are translated. Enhanced vehicle communications are provided that communicate to vehicle subsystems, that arbitrate smart charge points, and that use existing hardware, non-specific hardware, or control extensibility systems.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of devices on power flow management system using network fingerprints, comprising:

receiving network information, wherein the network information is associated with a plurality of electric devices;

generating a network fingerprint based on the network information;

storing the network fingerprint in a database;

detecting a change in device information of at least one of the plurality of electric devices;

comparing the changed device information of the at least one of the plurality of electric devices with the network fingerprint; and

determining a location of the at least one of the plurality of electric devices based on the network fingerprint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network information is received by a power flow management system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network information is received by at least one of the plurality of electric devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is stored by a power flow management system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is stored by at least one of the plurality of electric devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network fingerprint is generated using an approach selected from a group consisting of Global Positioning System (GPS) or cellular tower based Location Based Services (LBS).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device information of the at least one of the plurality of electric devices is information selected from a group consisting of a MAC addresses, IP addresses, or trace routes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the changed device information and the network fingerprint is compared using pattern matching.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the at least one of the plurality of electric devices is a network reference.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a random location identifier.