Electric vehicle supply equipment and control method thereof

• US 9,231,423 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Chen-Kuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US13/762,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20140217971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/111
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/527 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/529 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• 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 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A voltage at an output end of a switch of an electric vehicle supply equipment is detected before charging an electric vehicle. An earth leakage circuit breaker is tripped for cutting off power inputted to the switch and preventing the output end from outputting the power when the voltage is higher than a first predetermined value. The switch is turned on for outputting the power from the output end to charge the electric vehicle when the voltage is lower than the first predetermined value. A current is detected at the output end. Power inputted to the switch is cut off for preventing the output end from outputting the power when the current is higher than a second predetermined value.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle supply equipment control method comprising:

detecting a voltage at an output end of a switch of the electric vehicle supply equipment before charging an electric vehicle;

tripping an earth leakage circuit breaker for cutting off power inputted to the switch and preventing the output end from outputting the power when the voltage at the output end is higher than a first predetermined value;

detecting a current at the output end; and

cutting off power inputted to the switch for preventing the output end from outputting the power when the current at the output end is higher than a second predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

turning on the switch for outputting the power from the output end to charge the electric vehicle when the voltage at the output end is lower than the first predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

cutting off the switch after the charging has been completed;

detecting the voltage at the output end; and

tripping the earth leakage circuit breaker for cutting off power inputted to the switch when the voltage at the output end is higher than the first predetermined value.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

entering a standby mode when the voltage at the output end is lower than the first predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

stopping detecting the voltage at the output end when the voltage is lower than the first predetermined value; and

turning on the switch for outputting the power from the output end to charge the electric vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

cutting off the switch after the charging has completed;

detecting the voltage at the output end; and

tripping the earth leakage circuit breaker for cutting off power inputted to the switch when the voltage at the output end is higher than the first predetermined value.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

entering a standby mode when the voltage at the output end is lower than the first predetermined value.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first predetermined value is zero volts and the switch is a magnetic switch or a solid state switch (SSD).

9. An electric vehicle supply equipment comprising:

a switch;

a voltage detector for detecting a voltage at an output end of the switch;

a first relay coupled to the switch for controlling the switch;

a first relay controller coupled to the first relay for controlling the first relay;

a second relay for tripping an earth leakage circuit breaker when the voltage at the output end is higher than a predetermined value;

a second relay controller coupled to the second relay for controlling the second relay;

a controller coupled to the voltage detector, the first relay controller, and the second relay controller for controlling the first relay controller and the second relay controller according to the voltage at the output end;

a current detector coupled to the controller for detecting a current at the output end; and

a communication unit coupled to the controller for communicating with an electric vehicle.

10. The equipment of claim 9 further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the controller for detecting temperature of the electric vehicle supply equipment.

11. The equipment of claim 9 further comprising:

a third relay coupled between the voltage detector and the output end for controlling a connection between the voltage detector and the output end; and

a third relay controller coupled between the third relay and the controller for controlling the third relay;

wherein the third relay controller turns on the third relay for detecting the voltage at the output end before charging the electric vehicle.

12. The equipment of claim 11 further comprising a load coupled to the second relay for assisting the second relay to trip the earth leakage circuit breaker.

13. The equipment of claim 12 wherein the switch is a magnetic switch or a solid state switch.