Dynamic allocation of power modules for charging electric vehicles

• US 10,744,883 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2017
• Issued: 08/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Inventors: Quattrini, Jr., Richard J., Vaughan, Peter, Baxter, David, Hagenmaier, Jr., Carl F., Tran, Patrick Kien, Matsuno, Craig T., Eldridge, Gary A., Romano, Pasquale
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/605,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20180001781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• 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: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/70 Wind energy
• 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

Dynamic allocation of power modules for charging electric vehicles is described herein. The charging system includes multiple dispensers that each include one or more power modules that can supply power to any one of the dispensers at a time. A dispenser includes a first power bus that is switchably connected to one or more local power modules and switchably connected to one or more power modules located remotely in another dispenser. The one or more local power modules are switchably connected to a second power bus in the other dispenser. The dispenser includes a control unit that is to cause the local power modules and the remote power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus to dynamically allocate the power modules between the dispenser and the other dispenser.

Claims

1. A dispenser for charging an electric vehicle, comprising:

a housing;

an output terminal to connect the electric vehicle with charging output;

a first set of one or more power modules included within the housing, wherein each of the first set of one or more power modules is capable of supplying an amount of power for charging the electric vehicle;

a first power bus that is connected to the output terminal, switchably connected to the first set of one or more power modules, and switchably connected to a second set of one or more power modules that are located remotely from the dispenser in a different dispenser, and wherein the first set of one or more power modules are switchably connected to a second power bus providing charging output for the different dispenser; and

a control unit that is coupled to the first set of one or more power modules, wherein the control unit is configured to;

cause the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus to dynamically allocate the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules between the dispenser and the different dispenser.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to cause the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus to dynamically allocate the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules between the dispenser and the different dispenser based on a set of one or more factors including one or more properties of active charging sessions on the dispenser and the different dispenser.

3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the one or more properties of active charging sessions are to include for each charging session, one or more of:

a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser has been charging, a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser has been parked in proximity to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a time remaining on each charging session, a type of account associated with each charging session, an amount of current drawn by each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a percentage of charge complete of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a percentage of charge remaining of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a battery temperature of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a type of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, and a reservation status of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser.

4. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the set of one or more factors further includes one or more of:

a maximum rate of power that can be dispensed by each of the dispenser and the different dispenser, and load supply condition.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to transmit, to the different dispenser, status of the first set of one or more power modules.

6. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the status of the first set of one or more power modules specifies an amount of operating time of each of the first set of one or more power modules.

7. A method comprising:

providing charging output for a dispenser for charging an electric vehicle, the dispenser including;

a first set of one or more power modules included within a housing of the dispenser, wherein each of the first set of power modules is capable of supplying an amount of power for charging an electric vehicle through an output terminal of the dispenser,

a first power bus that is connected to the output terminal, switchably connected to the first set of one or more power modules, and switchably connected to a second set of one or more power modules that are located remotely from the dispenser in a different dispenser, and wherein the first set of one or more power modules are switchably connected to a second power bus providing charging output for the different dispenser, and

a control unit that is coupled to the first set of one or more power modules; and

dynamically allocating, using the control unit, the first set of power modules and the second set of power modules between the dispenser and the different dispenser, including causing the first set of power modules and the second set of power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the causing the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus is based on a set of one or more factors including one or more properties of active charging sessions on the dispenser and the different dispenser.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more properties of active charging sessions are to include for each charging session, one or more of:

a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser has been charging, a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser has been parked in proximity to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a time remaining on each charging session, a type of account associated with each charging session, an amount of current drawn by each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a percentage of charge complete of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a percentage of charge remaining of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a battery temperature of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a type of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, and a reservation status of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of factors further includes one or more of:

a maximum rate of power that can be dispensed by each of the dispenser and the different dispenser, and load supply condition.

11. The method of claim 7, the dynamically allocating further comprising:

transmitting, to the different dispenser, status of the first set of one or more power modules.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the status of the first set of one or more power modules specifies an amount of operating time of each of the first set of power modules.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform operations comprising:

providing charging output for a dispenser for charging an electric vehicle, the dispenser including;

a first set of one or more power modules included within a housing of the dispenser, wherein each of the first set of power modules is capable of supplying an amount of power for charging an electric vehicle through an output terminal of the dispenser,

a first power bus that is connected to the output terminal, switchably connected to the first set of one or more power modules, and switchably connected to a second set of one or more power modules that are located remotely from the dispenser in a different dispenser, and wherein the first set of one or more power modules are switchably connected to a second power bus providing charging output for the different dispenser, and

a control unit that is coupled to the first set of one or more power modules; and

dynamically allocating, using the control unit, the first set of power modules and the second set of power modules between the dispenser and the different dispenser, including causing the first set of power modules and the second set of power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the causing the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus is based on a set of one or more factors including one or more properties of active charging sessions on the dispenser and the different dispenser.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more properties of active charging sessions are to include for each charging session, one or more of:

a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser has been charging, a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser has been parked in proximity to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a time remaining on each charging session, a type of account associated with each charging session, an amount of current drawn by each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a percentage of charge complete of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a percentage of charge remaining of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a battery temperature of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a type of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, and a reservation status of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the set of factors further includes one or more of:

a maximum rate of power that can be dispensed by each of the dispenser and the different dispenser, and load supply condition.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the dynamically allocating further comprises:

transmitting, to the different dispenser, status of the first set of one or more power modules.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the status of the first set of one or more power modules specifies an amount of operating time of each of the first set of power modules.