Detecting and Responding to Unexpected Electric Vehicle Charging Disconnections

• US 20100207588A1
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Inventors: Tormey, Milton, Lowenthal, Richard, Baxter, David, Solomon, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,680,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• 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: 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 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

An electrical vehicle charging station establishes a charging session with an electric vehicle which includes energizing a power receptacle in the charging station and receiving a charging cord at the power receptacle. While the charging session is established and responsive to detecting that a charging connection between the electric vehicle and the electric vehicle charging station has been unexpectedly disconnected, the power receptacle is de-energized to prevent electricity from flowing through the charging cord.

Claims

1. A method for preventing electricity from flowing through a charging cord plugged into a power receptacle of an electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

establishing a charging session with an electric vehicle including energizing the power receptacle to allow electricity to flow through the charging cord to an electricity storage device of the electric vehicle; and

during the charging session and responsive to detecting that a charging connection between the electric vehicle and the electric vehicle charging station has been unexpectedly disconnected, de-energizing the power receptacle to prevent electricity from flowing through the power receptacle and through the charging cord.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting that the charging connection has been unexpectedly disconnected includes determining that the electricity flowing through the power receptacle has dropped below a configurable threshold amount for a configurable amount of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting that the charging connection has been unexpectedly disconnected is performed after detecting that a configurable threshold amount of electricity has flowed through the power receptacle for a configurable amount of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging cord is permanently plugged into the power receptacle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging cord is received into the power receptacle from an operator of the electric vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a notification message to be transmitted to an operator associated with the charging session via an email message or a text message responsive to de-energizing the power receptacle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising suspending the charging session responsive to detecting that the charging connection has been unexpectedly disconnected.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising re-establishing the charging session upon receiving administrative intervention or receiving intervention from an operator associated with the charging session.

9. An electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a power receptacle to receive a charging cord of an electric vehicle;

an electricity control device coupled with the power receptacle to control electricity to the power receptacle;

an electricity measuring device coupled with the power receptacle to measure electricity flowing through the power receptacle;

a charging station controller coupled with the electricity measuring device and the electricity control device, wherein the charging station controller is to perform the following;

establish a charging session with an electric vehicle including causing the electricity control device to energize the power receptacle,

detect that a charging connection to the electric vehicle has been unexpectedly disconnected, and

responsive to the unexpected disconnection of the charging connection, cause the electricity control device to de-energize the power receptacle.

10. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 9, wherein the charging station controller is to detect that the charging connection has been unexpectedly disconnected responsive to the electricity measuring device measuring that the electricity flowing through the power receptacle has dropped below a trigger threshold amount for a trigger amount of time.

11. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 9, wherein the charging station controller is further to,

initialize a charging connection unexpected disconnection detection and response mechanism responsive to the electricity measuring device measuring a configurable initialization threshold amount of electricity flowing through the power receptacle for a configurable initialization amount of time;

and

wherein the charging station controller is to detect that the charging connection to the electric vehicle has been unexpectedly disconnected after initializing the charging connection unexpected disconnection detection and response mechanism.

12. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 9, wherein the electricity measuring device is to measure flow of electric current through the power receptacle.

13. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 9, wherein the electricity measuring device is to measure power draw.

14. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 9, further comprising a display unit to display one or more messages indicating that electricity has been stopped responsive to the electricity control device stopping electricity from flowing to the power receptacle.

15. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 9, wherein the charging station controller is further to cause a notification message to be sent to an operator whose charging session has been interrupted by the electricity control device stopping electricity from flowing to the power receptacle.

16. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 9, wherein the trigger threshold amount and the trigger amount of time are each configurable.

17. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 10, wherein the charging station controller is further to perform the following:

suspend an established charging session responsive to the electricity measuring device measuring that the electricity flowing through the power receptacle for that charging session has dropped below the trigger threshold amount for the trigger amount of time.

18. The vehicle charging station of claim 17, wherein the charging station controller is further to resume a suspended charging session upon receipt of administrative intervention or receipt of intervention from an operator associated with the suspended charging session.

19. A method performed on an electric vehicle charging station for detecting and responding to unexpected electric vehicle charging disconnections, comprising:

establishing a charging session with an electric vehicle including allowing electricity to flow through a charging cord toward an electricity storage device of the electric vehicle; and

while the charging session remains established, performing the following;

monitoring an amount of electricity flowing through a power receptacle attached to the charging cord,

responsive to detecting a first threshold amount of electricity flowing for a first amount of time, initializing a charging connection unexpected disconnection detection and response mechanism, and

after initializing the charging connection unexpected disconnection detection and response mechanism and responsive to detecting that the electricity flowing has dropped below a second threshold amount for a second amount of time, preventing electricity from flowing through the charging cord.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein monitoring the amount of electricity flowing through the power receptacle includes monitoring flow of electric current.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein monitoring the amount of electricity flowing through the power receptacle includes monitoring power draw.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving the charging cord at the power receptacle;

wherein allowing electricity to flow through the charging cord includes energizing the power receptacle; and

wherein preventing electricity from flowing through the charging cord includes de-energizing the power receptacle.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first and second amount of times, the first threshold amount of electricity, and the second threshold amount are each configurable.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the charging cord is permanently attached to the vehicle charging station.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising causing a notification message to be transmitted to an operator associated with the charging session via an email message or a text message responsive to preventing electricity from flowing through the charging cord.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising suspending the charging session after detecting that the electricity flowing has dropped below the second threshold amount for the second amount of time.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising re-establishing the charging session upon receiving administrative intervention or receiving intervention from an operator associated with the charging session.