Communication on a pilot wire

• US 8,831,077 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Varadarajan, Badri, Kim, Il Han, Dabak, Anand, Mullins, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Hirdepal
• Application Number:
  US13/163,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20120002714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 7/08 Duration or width modulation ; Duty cycle modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating on a pilot wire between Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE) and an Electric Vehicle (EV). The EVSE and EV exchange a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal on the pilot wire to control charging operations of the EV. Data communications may also be transmitted on the pilot wire, such as between transmit and receive modems. The modems transmit communication signals either continuously, without regard to the state of the PWM signal, or only when the PWM is in an off-state. If transmitting while PWM is on, the modem needs a large coupling impedance and/or a large signal injection. To transmit only when the PWM is off, the modem may use a blocking diode in the coupling circuit or may synchronize to the pulses in the PWM signal.

Claims

1. A circuit, comprising:

a first modem coupled to a pilot wire system, the pilot wire system coupling electric vehicle service equipment and an electric vehicle and having a pilot wire carrying pulse width modulation (PWM) signals, the first modem transmitting communication signals to a second modem via the pilot wire; and

an interface circuit coupling the first modem to the pilot wire, the interface circuit having an impedance that is larger than an effective impedance of the pilot wire system, which corresponds to a combination of an electric vehicle service equipment impedance, an electric vehicle impedance, and a pilot wire cable impedance.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the communication signals are Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signals.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the OFDM signals comply with a PRIME (Powerline Related Intelligent Metering Evolution) or G3 standard.

4. A circuit, comprising:

a first modem coupled to a pilot wire system, the pilot wire system coupling electric vehicle service equipment and an electric vehicle and having a pilot wire carrying pulse width modulation (PWM) signals, the first modem transmitting communication signals to a second modem via the pilot wire; and

an interface circuit coupling the first modem to the pilot wire, the interface circuit having an impedance that is larger than an effective impedance of the pilot wire system; and

a line driver circuit in the interface circuit, the line driver circuit amplifying the communication signals from the first modem prior to injection of the communication signals onto the pilot wire.

5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein the line driver circuit amplifies the communication signals by an amount proportional to a variation in the effective impedance of the pilot wire system.

6. The circuit of claim 5, wherein variations in the effective impedance of the pilot wire system are caused by the PWM signals changing from an on-state to an off-state.

7. The circuit of claim 4, wherein the communication signals are Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signals.

8. The circuit of claim 7, wherein the OFDM signals comply with a PRIME (Powerline Related Intelligent Metering Evolution) or G3 standard.

9. A circuit, comprising:

a first modem coupled to a pilot wire system, the pilot wire system coupling electric vehicle service equipment and an electric vehicle and having a pilot wire carrying pulse width modulation (PWM) signals, the first modem transmitting communication signals to a second modem via the pilot wire; and

an interface circuit coupling the first modem to the pilot wire, the interface circuit comprising a diode that blocks the first modem communication signals from reaching the pilot wire when a PWM pulse is present on the pilot wire.

10. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the diode comprises an anode and a cathode, the anode coupled to the first modem, and the cathode coupled to the pilot wire.

11. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the diode conducts the communication signals from the first modem to the pilot wire when the PWM signals are off.

12. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the communication signals are Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signals.

13. The circuit of claim 12, wherein the OFDM signals comply with a PRIME (Powerline Related Intelligent Metering Evolution) or G3 standard.

14. A method, comprising:

coupling a first modem to a pilot wire system, the pilot wire system coupling electric vehicle service equipment and an electric vehicle and having a pilot wire carrying pulse width modulation (PWM) signals;

monitoring the PWM signals to identify whether the PWM signals are on or off;

transmitting communication signals from the first modem to a second modem via the pilot wire when the PWM signals are off; and

stopping transmission of the communication signals when the PWM signals are on.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication signals are Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the OFDM signals comprise a zero prefix that coincides with a duty cycle of the PWM signals.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the OFDM signals comply with a PRIME (Powerline Related Intelligent Metering Evolution) or G3 standard.