Connection locator in a power aggregation system for distributed electric resources

• US 9,674,771 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Original Assignee: V2Green, Inc. (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Inventors: Pollack, Seth B., Kaplan, David L., Bridges, Seth W.
• Primary Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US14/553,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20150208331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/57 Charging stations without connection to power networks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• 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 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• 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 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2213/10 using simultaneously two or more different transmission means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• 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 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

Systems and methods for power aggregation are described. One method includes charging an electric resource or vehicle over a power connection to an electric network, obtaining, with a processor, a unique identifier of a device associated with the electric resource or vehicle at the power connection, and determining, with the processor, a location of the electric resource or vehicle from the unique identifier.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a communication between an electric vehicle and a transceiver device associated with a power connection, the electric vehicle including one or more processors including a processor to control power flow;

obtaining, with the one or more processors, a unique identifier associated with the transceiver device;

transmitting, with the one or more processors, information regarding the electric vehicle to a remote server;

determining, with the one or more processors or the remote server, a location of the electric vehicle from either the unique identifier or signals from a global positioning satellite; and

charging the electric vehicle with the power connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the unique identifier to the remote server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transceiver device comprises a smart meter.

5. A method, comprising:

establishing a communication between an electric vehicle and a transceiver device associated with a power connection, the electric vehicle including one or more processors including a processor to control power flow;

receiving, with the one or more processors, a unique identifier associated with the transceiver device;

transmitting, with the one or more processors, information regarding the electric vehicle to a remote server;

determining, with the one or more processors or the remote server, a location of the electric vehicle based on signals from a global positioning satellite; and

charging the electric vehicle with the power connection.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, with the one or more processors or the remote server, the location of the electric vehicle from the unique identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

directing, with the one or more processors, the power connection to charge the electric vehicle.

8. A method, comprising:

establishing a communication between an electric vehicle and a transceiver device associated with a power connection, the electric vehicle including one or more processors including a processor to control power flow;

obtaining, with the one or more processors, a unique identifier associated with the transceiver device;

transmitting, with the one or more processors, information regarding the electric vehicle to a remote server;

determining, with the one or more processors or the remote server, a location of the power connection; and

directing, with the one or more processors or the remote server, the power connection to charge the electric vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the unique identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, with the one or more processors, a location of the electric vehicle based on signals from a global positioning satellite.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, with the one or more processors, a location of the electric vehicle from the unique identifier.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein directing the power connection to charge the electric vehicle comprises:

automatically determining a charging plan; and

charging the electric vehicle according to the charging plan.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising manually overriding the charging plan.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a status of the electric vehicle; and

automatically modifying the charging plan based on the status.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is a charging station, and the method further comprises:

optimizing the charging plan based on a forecasted availability of the charging station and environmental data.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the electric vehicle comprises a wireless transceiver, and the method further includes:

sending, with the wireless transceiver, a signal to the transceiver device.

17. A method, comprising:

determining, with one or more processors on an electric vehicle, a location of the electric vehicle based on signals from a global positioning satellite;

establishing, with the one or more processors, a communication between the electric vehicle and a transceiver device associated with a power connection;

obtaining, with the one or more processors, a unique identifier associated with the transceiver device;

transmitting, with the one or more processors, information regarding the electric vehicle to a remote server; and

charging the electric vehicle with the power connection.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, with the one or more processors, a location of the power connection.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining the location of the power connection based on the unique identifier.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the location of the electric vehicle is proximate to the location of the power connection when charging the electric vehicle.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

forecasting an availability of the power connection; and

automatically determining a charging plan for the electric vehicle based on the forecasted availability; and

charging the electric vehicle according to the charging plan.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

obtaining environmental data; and

automatically optimizing the charging plan based on the forecasted availability and the environmental data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the environmental data includes weather data.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the environmental data is obtained in real-time.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the charging plan includes a charging time.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the transceiver device includes a power metering device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the power metering device includes a wireless transceiver.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the power connection is a charging station.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein the power connection includes a plurality of charging stations, and the transceiver device is associated with each of the plurality of charging stations.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein the electric vehicle comprises:

a user interface, a battery, a charger, a power meter, and a power flow controller, and charging the electric vehicle comprises;

obtaining, with the one or more processors, a signal from the user interface;

causing, with the one or more processors, the power flow controller to direct power into the battery through the charger responsive to the signal; and

determining, with the power meter, a status of the battery.

31. The method of claim 17, further comprising, during charging of the electric vehicle, calculating a projection of the duration of the charging of the electric vehicle.

32. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a charging rate of the electric vehicle.

33. The method of claim 17, further comprising predicting a state-of-charge of the electric vehicle at a connection time with the power connection.

34. The method of claim 17, further comprising predicting when the electric vehicle will disconnect from the power connection.

35. The method of claim 17, further comprising predicting when the electric vehicle will connect to the power connection.

36. The method of claim 17, further comprising predicting a duration of a connection of the electric vehicle to the power connection.

37. A method, comprising:

determining, with one or more processors associated with an electric vehicle, a location of the electric vehicle based on signals from a global positioning satellite;

transmitting, with the one or more processors, information regarding the electric vehicle to a remote server;

determining, with the one or more processors or the remote server, a location of a power connection;

obtaining, with the one or more processors, a unique identifier of a transceiver device associated with the power connection;

establishing, with the one or more processors, based on the unique identifier, a communication between the transceiver and the one or more processors; and

determining a charging plan for charging the electric vehicle with the power connection.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the unique identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address.