Automated electric vehicle charging

• US 10,661,674 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2018
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Samojeden, Matthew, Monteith, Shawn
• Primary Examiner(s): Diao, M Baye
• Application Number:
  US15/981,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20180334040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• 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: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• 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

Apparatus and method for automated electric vehicle charging. One embodiment provides a method for automated charging including storing, in a memory, a rate profile of a power grid and determining, using an electronic processor, a time to full charge. The method also includes determining, using the electronic processor, a target time for completion of charging and generating, using the electronic processor, a charging profile. The method further includes charging, using a charging controller, based on the charging profile.

Claims

1. A method for automated charging, the method comprising:

storing, in a memory, a rate profile of a power grid, the rate profile including at least one time period and at least one rate associated with the at least one time period;

determining, using an electronic processor coupled to the memory, a time to full charge;

determining, using the electronic processor, a target time for completion of charging;

generating, using the electronic processor and based on the rate profile, the time to full charge, and the target time for completion of charging, a charging profile;

charging, using a charging controller of a charger coupled to the electronic processor, based on the charging profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging profile is generated to minimize cost.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the electronic processor, the rate profile from an electronic device, wherein the rate profile is received as an input at a user interface of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

receiving, at the electronic processor, the rate profile from a utility provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the charger is an electric vehicle charger.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an initial state of charge; and

determining a charge rating of the charger, wherein determining the time to full charge is based on the initial state of charge and the charge rating.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the charging profile is generated based on the rate profile, the time to full charge, and the target time for completion of charging.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the target time for completion of charging comprises:

receiving the target time for completion of charging at a user interface of an electronic device;

receiving, at the electronic processor, the target time for completion of charging from the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, at the electronic processor, the rate profile from the electronic device, wherein the rate profile is received as an input at the user interface of the electronic device.

10. A charger for automated charging, the charger comprising:

a memory;

a transceiver;

a charging controller; and

an electronic processor coupled to the memory, the transceiver, and the charging controller, the electronic processor configured to;

store, in the memory, a rate profile of a power grid, the rate profile including at least one time period and at least one rate associated with the at least one time period,

determine a time to full charge,

determine a target time for completion of charging,

generate a charging profile based on the rate profile, the time to full charge, and the target time for completion of charging, and

charge, using the charging controller, based on the charging profile.

11. The charger of claim 10, wherein the charging profile is generated to minimize cost.

12. The charger of claim 10, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

receive the rate profile from an electronic device, wherein the rate profile is received as an input at a user interface of the electronic device.

13. The charger of claim 10, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to;

receive the rate profile from a utility provider.

14. The charger of claim 10, wherein the charger is an electric vehicle charger.

15. The charger of claim 10, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

determine an initial state of charge; and

determine a charge rating of the charger, wherein determining the time to full charge is based on the initial state of charge and the charge rating.

16. The charger of claim 15, wherein the charging profile is generated based on the rate profile, the time to full charge, and the target time for completion of charging.

17. The charger of claim 10, wherein determining the target time for completion of charging comprises:

receiving the target time for completion of charging at a user interface of an electronic device;

receiving the target time for completion of charging from the electronic device.

18. The charger of claim 17, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

receive the rate profile from the electronic device, wherein the rate profile is received as an input at the user interface of the electronic device.

19. A method for automated charging, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server, charging information from each of a plurality of electric vehicle chargers within a geographic boundary served by a single utility provider;

generating, using a server electronic processor of the server, a plurality of charging profiles for each of the plurality of electric vehicle chargers based on the charging information received from the plurality of electric vehicle chargers, wherein the charging profile is generated to minimize load on the utility provider; and

transmitting, using a server transceiver of the server, the plurality of charging profiles to the plurality of electric vehicle chargers, wherein the electric vehicle chargers perform charging based on a charging profile from the plurality of charging profiles.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the charging information includes at least one selected from the group consisting of, a state of charge of an electric vehicle connected to an electric vehicle charger of the plurality of the electric vehicle chargers, a target time for completion of charging of the electric vehicle, and a time to full charge of the electric vehicle.