Smart charging system for mobile vehicles and method of operating the same

• US 9,024,580 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Wu, Ching-Horng, Hu, Jian-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHALIL, MOUSTAFA H
• Application Number:
  US13/547,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20130020992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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 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 smart charging system for mobile vehicles includes a charging apparatus, a meter, and a cloud server. The charging apparatus is connected between an electric grid and an electric vehicle. The charging apparatus is supplied by the electric grid and then provides power to supply the electric vehicle. The meter is operatively connected between the electric grid and the charging apparatus. The meter has a communication with the electric grid to obtain supplied power from the electric grid to the charging apparatus. The cloud server is operatively connected to the electric grid and further operatively connected to the charging apparatus via a gateway apparatus to receive power-supplying information of the electric grid and power-charging information of the electric vehicle. Further, the charging apparatus smartly charges the electric vehicle according to the power-supplying information and the power-charging information.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus connected between a utility grid and an electric vehicle, the charging apparatus comprising:

a measurement unit connected to the utility grid and configured to measure an output voltage and an output current of the utility grid;

a communication unit configured to receive an output voltage information and an output current information of the utility grid, a charging voltage information and a charging current information of the electric vehicle, and a load condition information of the utility grid;

a control unit connected to the measurement unit and the communication unit;

wherein the control unit configured to control the utility grid to adaptively charge the electric vehicle via a charging connection unit according to the output voltage information, the output current information, the charging voltage information, the charging current information, and the load condition information when the control unit meets a charge authorization condition;

wherein the charge authorization condition is a charging permit authorization mode;

the electric vehicle judges whether to receive the charging permit command according to the output voltage information and the output current information of the utility grid when the utility grid provides a charging permit command to the electric vehicle via the charging apparatus;

wherein the electric vehicle receives the charging permit command when the output voltage and output current of the utility grid meet the required charging voltage and charging current of the electric vehicle.

2. The charging apparatus in claim 1, wherein before the utility grid provides the charging permit command to the electric vehicle via the charging apparatus, the utility grid judges whether to receive the charging request command according to the load conditions of the utility grid when the electric vehicle provides a charging request command to the utility via the charging apparatus;

wherein the utility grid receives the charging request command when the load condition is a light-load condition;

whereas the utility grid rejects the charging request command when the load condition is a heavy-load condition.

3. The charging apparatus in claim 1, wherein after the utility grid provides the charging permit command to the electric vehicle via the charging apparatus, the utility grid judges whether to receive the charging validation command according to the required charging voltage information and the charging current information of the electric vehicle when the electric vehicle provides a charging validation command to the utility grid via the charging apparatus;

wherein the utility grid receives the charging validation command when the required charging voltage and charging current of the electric vehicle meet the output voltage and output current of the utility grid.

4. The charging apparatus in claim 1, wherein the charging connection unit is a SAE J1772 connector with a power line communication.

5. The charging apparatus in claim 1, wherein the communication unit has a ZigBee protocol function, a Wi-Fi protocol function, or a BLUETOOTH protocol function.

6. The charging apparatus in claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit connected to the control unit and configured to display conditions of supplying power from the utility grid to the electrical vehicle; and

a protection unit connected to the control unit and configured to provide a ground fault protection, an over-current protection, or an over-voltage protection.

7. A smart charging system for mobile vehicles comprising:

a charging apparatus connected between a utility grid and an electric vehicle;

wherein the charging apparatus is supplied by the utility grid and the electric vehicle is charged by the charging apparatus;

a meter operationally connected between the utility gird and the charging apparatus;

wherein the meter is communicated to the utility grid to obtain an output voltage information and an output current information provided from the utility grid to the charging apparatus; and

a cloud server operationally connected to the utility grid;

wherein the cloud server is further operationally connected to the charging apparatus via a gateway apparatus to receive the output voltage information and the output current information of the utility grid and a charging voltage information and a charging current information of the electric vehicle;

wherein the charging apparatus configured to adaptively charge the electric vehicle according to the output voltage information, the output current information, the charging voltage information, the charging current information, and a load condition information of the utility grid when the charging apparatus meets a charge authorization condition;

wherein the charge authorization condition is a charging permit authorization mode;

the electric vehicle judges whether to receive the charging permit command according to the output voltage information and the output current information of the utility grid when the utility grid provides a charging permit command to the electric vehicle via the charging apparatus;

wherein the electric vehicle receives the charging permit command when the output voltage and output current of the utility grid meet the required charging voltage and charging current of the electric vehicle.

8. The smart charging system in claim 7, wherein before the utility grid provides the charging permit command to the electric vehicle via the charging apparatus, the utility grid judges whether to receive the charging request command according to the load conditions of the utility grid when the electric vehicle provides a charging request command to the utility via the charging apparatus;

wherein the utility grid receives the charging request command when the load condition is a light-load condition;

whereas the utility grid rejects the charging request command when the load condition is a heavy-load condition.

9. The smart charging system in claim 7, wherein after the utility grid provides the charging permit command to the electric vehicle via the charging apparatus, the utility grid judges whether to receive the charging validation command according to the required charging voltage information and the charging current information of the electric vehicle when the electric vehicle provides a charging validation command to the utility grid via the charging apparatus;

wherein the utility grid receives the charging validation command when the required charging voltage and charging current of the electric vehicle meet the output voltage and output current of the utility grid.

10. The smart charging system in claim 7, wherein the meter is a smart meter;

the meter is communicated to the charging apparatus through a wireless local area network protocol;

wherein the meter is communicated to the charging apparatus via a ZigBee protocol, a Wi-Fi protocol, or a BLUETOOTH protocol;

the gateway apparatus is a ZigBee gateway, a Wi-Fi gateway, or a BLUETOOTH gateway.

11. The smart charging system in claim 10, wherein the charging apparatus is communicated to the ZigBee gateway via the ZigBee protocol and the cloud server is communicated to the ZigBee gateway via the Ethernet protocol when the charging apparatus is operationally connected to the cloud server via the ZigBee gateway;

wherein the charging apparatus is communicated to the Wi-Fi gateway via the Wi-Fi protocol and the cloud server is communicated to the Wi-Fi gateway via the Ethernet protocol when the charging apparatus is operationally connected to the cloud server via the Wi-Fi gateway;

wherein the charging apparatus is communicated to the BLUETOOTH gateway via the BLUETOOTH protocol and the cloud server is communicated to the BLUETOOTH gateway via the Ethernet protocol when the charging apparatus is operationally connected to the cloud server via the BLUETOOTH gateway.

12. A method of smartly charging mobile vehicles for charging an electric vehicle by a utility grid, comprising following steps:

(a) providing a charging apparatus, wherein the charging apparatus is connected between the utility grid and the electric vehicle;

(b) providing a charging request command from the electric vehicle, wherein the charging request command is sent to the utility grid via the charging apparatus to propose a charging request to the utility grid;

(c) providing a charging permit command from the utility grid, wherein the charging permit command is sent to the electric vehicle via the charging apparatus to allow charging the electric vehicle;

wherein when the utility grid provides the charging permit command to the electric vehicle, a charging permit authorization mode is further executed between the electric vehicle, the charging apparatus, and the utility grid;

the electric vehicle judges whether to receive the charging permit command according to the output voltage information and the output current information of the utility grid when the utility grid provides a charging permit command to the electric vehicle via the charging apparatus;

wherein the electric vehicle receives the charging permit command when the output voltage and output current of the utility grid meet the required charging voltage and charging current of the electric vehicle;

(d) providing a charging validation command from the electric vehicle, wherein the charging validation command is sent to the utility grid via the charging apparatus to propose a charging notice to the utility grid; and

(e) charging the electric vehicle by the utility grid via the charging apparatus.

13. The method of smartly charging mobile vehicles in claim 12, in step (b), wherein when the electric vehicle provides the charging request command to the utility grid, a charging request authorization mode is further executed between the electric vehicle, the charging apparatus, and the utility grid;

the utility grid judges whether to receive the charging request command according to the load conditions of the utility grid when the electric vehicle provides a charging request command to the utility via the charging apparatus;

wherein the utility grid receives the charging request command when the load condition is a light-load condition;

whereas the utility grid rejects the charging request command when the load condition is a heavy-load condition.

14. The method of smartly charging mobile vehicles in claim 12, in step (d), wherein when the electric vehicle provides the charging validation command to the utility grid, a charging notice authorization mode is further executed between the electric vehicle, the charging apparatus, and the utility grid;

the utility grid judges whether to receive the charging validation command according to the required charging voltage information and the charging current information of the electric vehicle when the electric vehicle provides a charging validation command to the utility grid via the charging apparatus;

wherein the utility grid receives the charging validation command when the required charging voltage and charging current of the electric vehicle meet the output voltage and output current of the utility grid.

15. The method of smartly charging mobile vehicles in claim 12, further comprising:

providing a meter, wherein the meter is operationally connected between the utility grid and the charging apparatus to communicate to the utility grid and obtain the output voltage information and output current information of the utility grid; and

providing a cloud server, wherein the cloud server is operationally connected to the utility grid and further operationally connected to the charging apparatus via a gateway apparatus to receive the output voltage information and the output current information of the utility grid and the charging voltage information and the charging current information of the electric vehicle.

16. The method of smartly charging mobile vehicles in claim 12, wherein the meter is communicated to the charging apparatus via a ZigBee protocol, a Wi-Fi protocol, or a BLUETOOTH protocol;

the gateway apparatus is a ZigBee gateway, a Wi-Fi gateway, or a BLUETOOTH gateway.

17. The method of smartly charging mobile vehicles in claim 16, wherein the charging apparatus is communicated to the ZigBee gateway via the ZigBee protocol and the cloud server is communicated to the ZigBee gateway via the Ethernet protocol when the charging apparatus is operationally connected to the cloud server via the ZigBee gateway;

wherein the charging apparatus is communicated to the Wi-Fi gateway via the Wi-Fi protocol and the cloud server is communicated to the Wi-Fi gateway via the Ethernet protocol when the charging apparatus is operationally connected to the cloud server via the Wi-Fi gateway;

wherein the charging apparatus is communicated to the BLUETOOTH gateway via the BLUETOOTH protocol and the cloud server is communicated to the BLUETOOTH gateway via the Ethernet protocol when the charging apparatus is operationally connected to the cloud server via the BLUETOOTH gateway.