CHARGING DEVICE AND METHODS OF AUTHORIZING A CHARGING REQUEST

• US 20120310433A1
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Littrell, Nathan Bowman
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charging device includes a power delivery system configured to supply power to at least one load coupled to the charging device. The charging device also includes a processor coupled to the power delivery system, and the processor is programmed to transmit a charging request to a remote device. The charging request includes an amount of power requested to be supplied to the at least one load. The processor is programmed to receive data related to a loading of a power distribution device, wherein the power distribution device is configured to supply power to the charging device. The processor is further programmed to selectively activate the power delivery system to supply power to the at least one load based on the data received.

Claims

1. A charging device comprising:

a power delivery system configured to supply power to at least one load coupled to said charging device; and

a processor coupled to said power delivery system, said processor programmed to;

transmit a charging request to a remote device, the charging request including an amount of power requested to be supplied to the at least one load;

receive data related to a loading of a power distribution device, wherein the power distribution device is configured to supply power to said charging device; and

selectively activate said power delivery system to supply power to the at least one load based on the data received.

2. A charging device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a network interface, wherein said processor is programmed to transmit the charging request to the remote device using said network interface.

3. A charging device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) interface, wherein said processor is programmed to transmit the charging request to the remote device using said AMI interface.

4. A charging device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a memory device coupled to said processor, wherein a power distribution limit of the power distribution device is stored within said memory device.

5. A charging device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processor compares the data received to the power distribution limit to selectively activate said power delivery system.

6. A charging device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the data received is representative of an amount of power distributed by the power distribution device, said processor determines an amount of available power to be equal to the amount of power distributed subtracted from the power distribution limit.

7. A charging device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said processor activates said power delivery system upon a determination that the amount of power requested does not exceed the amount of power available.

8. A power system for use in supplying power to at least one load, said power system comprising:

a charging device configured to;

generate a charging request representative of an amount of power requested to be supplied to at least one load; and

supply power to the at least one load upon a determination that the charging request is authorized; and

a remote device coupled to said charging device, said remote device comprising a processor programmed to;

receive the charging request;

determine a loading of a power distribution device, wherein the power distribution device is configured to supply power to said charging device; and

determine whether to authorize the charging request based on the determined loading of the power distribution device.

9. A power system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said remote device is a transformer comprising a processor, said transformer is positioned within a distribution path of said charging device.

10. A power system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said remote device is a server coupled to said charging device by an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

11. A power system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said remote device is a server is configured to determine a power distribution device that is positioned within a distribution path of said charging device.

12. A power system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said server comprises a network model, said server receives data from said network model to determine the power distribution device that is positioned within the distribution path of said charging device.

13. A power system in accordance with claim 8, wherein a power distribution limit of the power distribution device is stored within said remote device.

14. A power system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said processor compares the loading of the power distribution device to the power distribution limit to determine whether to authorize the charging request.

15. A power system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the loading of the power distribution device is representative of an amount of power distributed by the power distribution device, said processor determines an amount of available power to be equal to the amount of power distributed subtracted from the power distribution limit.

16. A power system in accordance with claim 15, wherein said processor authorizes the charging request upon a determination that the amount of power requested does not exceed the amount of power available.

17. A method of authorizing a charging request, said method comprising:

receiving a charging request from a charging device, the charging request including an amount of power requested to be supplied to a power storage device of an electric vehicle;

determining an amount of power supplied by a power distribution device positioned within a distribution path of the charging device; and

authorizing the charging request based on the determined amount of power supplied.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17, further comprising determining an amount of available power that is equal to the amount of power supplied subtracted from a power distribution limit of the power distribution device.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein said authorizing the charging request comprises authorizing the charging request upon a determination that the amount of power requested does not exceed the amount of power available.

20. A method in accordance with claim 17, further comprising receiving data from a network model to determine the power distribution device positioned within the distribution path of the charging device.