Electrical vehicle battery charger mounted on lamp post

• US 9,804,624 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liros Power Solution AB
• Original Assignee: Liros Power Solution AB
• Inventors: Johansson, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/443,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20150298564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• 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: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric distribution appliance (100) suitable for distributing electrical power to a mobile device such as an electric vehicle, said appliance comprising a central part (102), a lower part (104) and an upper part (106), where each of said lower part (104) and said upper part (106) are mounted in such a way that they can be removed from said central part (102), said electric distribution appliance being adapted for being mounted to an existing lamp post (135).

Claims

1. An electric distribution appliance (100) for distributing electric power to a mobile device, said electric distribution appliance (100) being adapted for being fitted to an existing lamp post (135), comprising:

a central part (102) and one or more additional parts (104, 106, 212, 214) which additional parts are mounted in such a way that they can be removed from said central part (102) while the central part (102) is mounted to a lamp post (135), and that only said central part (102) is adapted for being fitted to an existing lamp post (135), said electric distribution appliance having an interface section (110, 122); and

said central part (102) having

a switching means (114, 500);

a cable connection (120); and

a controller (112),

said switching means (114, 500) being connected to said connection (120) and being adapted for being connected to an incoming cable (116) in connection with a power supply network and being adapted for being connected to an outgoing cable (118);

said cable connection (120) being adapted for being connected to contact module (130), which in turn is adapted for distributing power to said mobile device;

said interface section (110, 122) being adapted for receiving commands from a user regarding initiation and/or termination of distribution of power into said cable connection (120), and being set up to forward data corresponding to said commands to said controller (112);

said controller (112) being set up to receive data from said interface section (110, 122);

wherein;

said switching means (114) is set up to control distribution of power from said incoming cable (116) into each of said outgoing cable (118) and said cable connection (120) based on control signals from said controller (112), and that said controller (112) is set up to control distribution of power from said incoming cable (116) into each of said outgoing cable (118) and said cable connection (120) based on external control signals, said external control signals being determined based on prestored data and incoming data from one or more of;

said interface section (110, 122), an external server and said mobile device,

said electric distribution appliance is configured to be operated in a first, second and third mode, wherein

i) the appliance (100) in said first mode does not have any outer actuating means, the contact module (130) is hidden, the lid (128) is closed and no electrical power is distributed to the cable connection (120) and the contact module;

ii) the appliance (100) in said second mode does not have any outer actuating means, the lid (128) is open, the contact module is available from outside, and electrical power is distributed to the cable connection (120) and the contact module (130);

iii) the appliance (100) in said third mode does not distribute electrical power from the switching means, and actuating means (610) for carrying out service and/or maintenance work is exposed from behind a sliding outer coverage (606) comprising an aperture (608) and controlled by a means (604) for controlling the position of said siding outer coverage (606), in such a way that the sliding outer coverage (606) is locked in a position covering said actuating means (610) in said first and second modes and that the sliding outer coverage (606) can be slided in a position such that said actuating means (610) is accessible through said aperture (608); and

said operation mode is changed by presenting an Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag and/or a Bluetooth communication means to the interface section (110, 122), calling or sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message from a specific mobile phone to a specific number or a combination of these actions.

2. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 1, wherein the switching means (114, 500) comprises at least one power sensor (512, 514, 516), said means being set up to forward power data to said controller (112).

3. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 1, wherein said central part (102) further comprises a payment section (108) said payment section (108) comprising means for obtaining payment from a customer, said payment section being set up to send data relating to payment to said controller (112).

4. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 1, wherein the appliance also comprises a lower additional part (104), said lower part (104) comprising a contact module (130) adapted for distributing power to a mobile device, said contact module (130) being connected to cable connection (120).

5. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 4, wherein the lower part (104) comprises a closable lid (128) covering the contact module (130), and where the lid (128) is automatically opened before distribution of power through the contact module (130) is initiated and where the lid (128) is closed when distribution of power has been terminated.

6. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 4, wherein the power is distributed to a connection (131) in said contact module (131) and further through cable (133) to a plug/socket (132) adapted for being connected to mobile device, and wherein there is a connection enabling data transfer between the mobile device and the controller (112).

7. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 6, wherein the plug/socket (132) is equipped with an anchoring device (134) adapted for anchoring the plug/socket (132) in corresponding receiving plug/socket of a mobile device, said anchoring device (134) being controlled by the controller (112) in such a way that the plug/socket (132) is anchored when power is distributed to the plug/socket (132).

8. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 1, wherein the appliance comprises an upper part (106) having a communication unit (124) adapted for wireless transmission of data including instructions between the controller (112) and a cloud server, optionally via a master appliance (318, 400), said instructions relating to distribution of power from said incoming cable (116) between said outgoing cable (118)and said cable connection (120).

9. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 8, wherein the communication unit (124) is adapted for wireless transmission of data including instructions between the controller (112) and an Light Emitting Diode (LED) arrangement, said data relating to power consumption and status of said LED arrangement.

10. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 8, wherein the controller (112) is adapted for receiving instructions from the communication unit (124) and to control said switching means (114) based upon said instruction in such a way that the power from said incoming cable (116) is distributed between said outgoing cable (118) and said cable connection (120).

11. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 8, wherein the communication unit (124) further comprises a small femtocell base station for providing mobile phone services and/or a Wi-Fi hot spot in an area within 10 m from the electric distribution appliance (100).

12. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 11, wherein the communication unit (124) is set up to transfer all incoming and outgoing data from mobile phone services and Wi-Fi via the master appliance (318, 400).

13. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 8, wherein the communication unit (124) is connected to a separate antenna (127a, 127b) which is arranged adjacent to said communication means (124) and/or adapted for being mounted within or on a lamp post (135).

14. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 8, wherein the upper part (106) comprises an interface section (110, 122) having identification means, including one or more of:

a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reading means and a Bluetooth communication means.

15. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 8, wherein the upper part (106) comprising means (126) for displaying visual signals.

16. An electric distribution appliance (100) according to claim 15, wherein the means (126) for displaying visual signals is set up to display a text message and/or a light indication.