User Interface and User Control in a Power Aggregation System for Distributed Electric Resources

• US 20090043520A1
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gridpoint (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Original Assignee: V2Green, Inc. (Twenty First Century Utilities LLC)
• Inventors: Bridges, Seth W., Pollack, Seth B., Kaplan, David L.
• Application Number:
  US12/252,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043520A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• 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 53/64 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 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 : involving the use of Internet protocols
• 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 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 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 40/121 : using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 : Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/16 : Energy services, e.g. dispersed generation or demand or load or energy savings aggregation

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for a power aggregation system. In one implementation, an electric charging station connected to a power grid includes a power connection operable to connect an electric resource to the electric charging station. Additionally, the electric charging station includes a user interface operable to provide a user access to information associated with the electric resource and the power grid.

Claims

1. An electric charging station connected to a power grid, comprising:

a power connection operable to connect an electric resource to the electric charging station; and

a user interface operable to provide a user access to information associated with the electric resource and the power grid.

2. The electric charging station of claim 1, wherein the electric charging station is connected to a power aggregation system.

3. The electric charging station of claim 1, wherein the electric charging station is connected to an information network.

4. The electric charging station of claim 1, wherein the electric resource comprises an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or a vehicle that obtains at least some power for motion from an electric storage system.

5. The electric charging station of claim 1, wherein the power connection comprises a powerline communicator (PLC) and is operable to transfer data between the electric resource and the electric charging station.

6. The electric charging station of claim 4, wherein the electric charging station is operable to collect and/or display information associated with the electric resource, including:

vehicle identification, vehicle type, vehicle state, vehicle limits, vehicle user preferences, distance driven, electrical and non-electrical fuel usage, estimated time until recharge, and overall vehicle efficiency with respect to energy use, expense and environmental impact.

7. The electric charging station of claim 1, wherein the electric charging station is operable to collect and/or display information associated with the power grid, including:

current electricity price, past electricity price patterns, predicted electricity price patterns, estimated recharge cost and estimated payment for uploading power to the power grid.

8. The electric charging station of claim 2, wherein the user interface is operable to further provide access to a user account of the power aggregation system.

9. The electric charging station of claim 8, wherein the user interface is further operable to receive and/or display information associated with the user account, including:

power aggregation preferences, power aggregation constraints, an override for requesting immediate charging of the electric resource, energy pricing preferences of the user, revenue preferences of the user, and predicted charging patterns of the electric resource.

10. The electric charging station of claim 2, wherein the user interface is further operable to display checkboxes, icons and/or menus for user-selection of preferences, constraints, customizations, and optimizations of the power aggregation system with respect to system parameters, electric resource parameters, and electric resource/power aggregation system interactions.

11. A method, comprising:

connecting an electric resource to an electric charging station on a power grid; and

interacting with a user of the electric resource via a user interface connected to the electric charging station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electric charging station is connected to a power aggregation system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the electric charging station is connected to an information network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the electric resource comprises an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or a vehicle that obtains at least some power for motion from an electric storage system.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the connecting comprises connecting the electric resource to the electric charging station using a powerline communicator (PLC) operable to transfer data between the electric resource and the electric charging station.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising collecting and/or displaying information associated with the electric resource, including:

vehicle identification, vehicle type, vehicle state, vehicle limits, vehicle user preferences, distance driven, electrical and non-electrical fuel usage, estimated time until recharge, vehicle efficiency, and overall vehicle efficiency with respect to energy use, expense and environmental impact.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising collecting and/or displaying information associated with the power grid, including:

current electricity price, past electricity price patterns, predicted electricity price patterns, estimated recharge cost, and estimated payment for uploading power to the power grid.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising accessing a user account of a power aggregation system connected to the electric charging station.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising collecting and/or displaying information associated with the user account, including:

power aggregation preferences, power aggregation constraints, an override for requesting immediate charging of the electric resource, energy pricing preferences of the user, revenue preferences of the user, and predicted charging patterns of the electric resource.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying checkboxes, icons and/or menus for user-selection of preferences, constraints, customizations, and optimizations of the power aggregation system with respect to system parameters, electric resource parameters, and electric resource/power aggregation system interactions.