Street light mounted network-controlled charge transfer device for electric vehicles

• US 10,150,381 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Inventors: Lowenthal, Richard, Baxter, David, Bhade, Harjinder, Mandal, Praveen, Tormey, Milton T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/250,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20170050530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320107, 320108, 320115, 320132, 320109, 903903, 903907, 903930, 180 65275, 180 651, 180 6521, 180 6524, 414227, 414268
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 53/64 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 53/665 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: F21S 8/086 with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/001 the elements being electrical wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• 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: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 : Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation

Abstract

A network-controlled charge transfer device for transferring charge between a local power grid and an electric vehicle is mounted to a street light. The charge transfer device includes the following: an electrical receptacle to receive an electrical connector for connection to the electric vehicle; an electric power line that couples the power grid to the electrical receptacle through a wiring box; a control device to switch the receptacle on and off; a current measuring device to measure current flowing through the electric power line; and a controller to operate the control device and to monitor output from the current measuring device.

Claims

1. A charge transfer device for transferring charge between a local power grid and an electric vehicle, comprising:

a control device to control application of charge transfer between the electric vehicle and the local power grid, wherein the charge transfer device is coupled to the local power grid through a wiring box that also couples a street light to the local power grid;

a transceiver to communicate with a remote server;

a current measuring device to measure a first amount of current flowing for charge transfer for the electric vehicle; and

a controller coupled with the control device, transceiver, and current measuring device, wherein the controller is configured to;

cause the control device to control application of charge transfer to the electric vehicle based on communication received by the transceiver from the remote server.

2. The charge transfer device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication device connected to the controller to connect the controller to a mobile wireless communication device for communication between an operator of the electric vehicle and the controller.

3. The charge transfer device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further to cause a reporting of the first amount of current flowing for charge transfer to a utility company operating the local power grid.

4. The charge transfer device of claim 1, wherein the current measuring device is further to measure a second amount of current flowing on an electric power line coupled with the wiring box that provides electricity to a light of the street light.

5. The charge transfer device of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the controller is to further manage charge transfer based on power grid load data that is received from the remote server.

6. The charge transfer device of claim 1, wherein charge transfer may be in either direction between the local power grid and the electric vehicle.

19. The charge transfer device of claim 4, wherein the controller is further to cause a reporting of the measured second amount of current flowing on the electric power line coupled with the wiring box that provides electricity to the light of the street light to a utility company operating the local power grid.

7. A system, comprising:

a street light comprising;

a light, and

a first electric power line that couples the light with a local power grid through a wiring box; and

a charge transfer device that transfers charge between the local power grid and an electric vehicle, the charge transfer device coupled with the wiring box that also couples the street light, the charge transfer device comprising;

an electric coupler that makes a connection with the electric vehicle,

a second electric power line that couples the electric coupler with the local power gird through the wiring box,

a control device that controls application of charge transfer between the electric vehicle and the local power grid through switching on and off the electric coupler;

a transceiver that communicates with a remote server;

a current measuring device that measures a first amount of current flowing on the second electric power line; and

a controller configured that causes the control device to control application of charge transfer to the electric vehicle based on communication received by the transceiver from the remote server.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first electric power line and the second electric power line are different.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first electric power line and the second electric power line are the same.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the current measuring device further measures a second amount of current flowing on the first electric power line.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller further causes a reporting of the first amount of current flowing on the second electric power line to a utility company that operates the local power grid.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller further manages charge transfer based on power grid load data and consumer profiles that are received from the remote server.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller further causes a reporting of the second amount of current flowing on the first electric power line to a utility company that operates the local power grid.

13. A method for transferring charge between a local power grid and an electric vehicle through a network-controlled charge transfer device, comprising:

receiving a communication from a server that instructs the network-controlled charge transfer device to enable charge transfer;

responsive to the receiving, activating a control device to switch on an electric coupler of the network-controlled charge transfer device that makes a connection with the electric vehicle to transfer charge between the local power grid and the electric vehicle, wherein the charge transfer is provided through a first electrical power line that is coupled with the local power grid through a wiring box that also couples a street light to the local power grid; and

monitoring the charge transfer using a current measuring device on the first electrical power line.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prior to receiving the communication from the server, receiving a request at the network-controlled charge transfer device for charge transfer that originates from a mobile wireless communication device of an operator of the electric vehicle, and relaying the request to the server.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

reporting an amount of current flowing through the first electrical power line to a utility company operating the local power grid.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the street light includes a light coupled with a second electrical power line that is coupled with the local power grid through the wiring box.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising monitoring current flowing through the second electrical power line.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

reporting an amount of current flowing through the second electrical power line to a utility company operating the local power grid.