Electric vehicle charging methods, battery charging methods, electric vehicle charging systems, energy device control apparatuses, and electric vehicles

• US 8,319,358 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enel X North America, Inc. (ENEL SPA)
• Original Assignee: Demand Energy Networks, Inc. (ENEL SPA)
• Inventors: Curry, Dave Earl, Turner, Brett Patrick, Hamilton, Scott Robert, Staker, Douglas Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/533,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20100006356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R, 290/1.A, 290/7, 290/50, 322/1, 322/37
• US Class Current: 290/1.A
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• 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 8/00 Electric propulsion with power supply from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation

Abstract

Electric vehicle charging methods, battery charging methods, electric vehicle charging systems, energy device control apparatuses, and electric vehicles are described. In one arrangement, an electric vehicle charging method includes receiving information regarding charging of an electric vehicle with energy from an electric power grid, determining an amount of energy stored by an energy storage device coupled to the electric power grid, and controlling a transfer of the energy stored by the energy storage device to the electric power grid using the information regarding the charging of the electric vehicle. Other arrangements are described.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging method comprising:

receiving information regarding charging of an electric vehicle with energy from an electric power grid;

determining an amount of energy stored by an energy device coupled to the electric power grid; and

controlling a transfer of the energy stored by the energy device to the electric power grid using the information regarding the charging of the electric vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the information comprises receiving information regarding timing of the charging of the electric vehicle and wherein the controlling of the transfer comprises controlling timing of the transfer using the information regarding the timing of the charging.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling the charging of the electric vehicle so that an amount of the energy consumed by the charging is less than or equal to the amount of the energy stored by the energy device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling of the transfer comprises controlling the transfer to affect the charging of the electric vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling of the transfer comprises controlling the transfer to reduce effects on the electric power grid resulting from the charging of the electric vehicle compared with not controlling the transfer of the energy stored by the energy device using the information regarding the charging of the electric vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling the charging of the electric vehicle based on the amount of the energy stored by the energy device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the controlling of the charging of the electric vehicle comprises controlling the charging so that an amount of the energy from the electric power grid consumed by the charging of the electric vehicle is less than or equal to the amount of the energy stored by the energy device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling the charging of the electric vehicle based on an amount of the energy transferred from the energy device to the electric power grid.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the controlling of the charging of the electric vehicle comprises controlling the charging so that an amount of the energy from the electric power grid consumed by the charging of the electric vehicle is less than or equal to the amount of the energy transferred from the energy device to the electric power grid.

10. A battery charging method comprising:

storing first energy from an electric power grid using an energy device coupled to the electric power grid, the energy device being associated with an account;

consuming second energy from the electric power grid to charge a rechargeable battery associated with the account, the rechargeable battery being physically distinct from the energy device;

discharging the first energy stored by the energy device to the electric power grid; and

determining a balance of the account based on the consuming of the second energy and the discharging of the first energy.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the determining of the balance comprises crediting the account based on an amount of the first energy stored by the energy device, debiting the account based on an amount of the second energy consumed to charge the rechargeable battery, and netting the account based on the crediting and the debiting.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the determining of the balance comprises crediting the account based on an amount energy transferred to the electric power grid as a result of the discharging, debiting the account based on an amount of the second energy consumed to charge the rechargeable battery, and netting the account based on the crediting and the debiting.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the crediting comprises crediting based on a location of the energy device.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the debiting comprises debiting based on a location of the rechargeable battery during the consuming.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the crediting comprises crediting based on a time of day during which the discharging of the first energy takes place.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the debiting comprises debiting based on a time of day during which the consuming of the second energy takes place.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising coupling an electric vehicle comprising the rechargeable battery to the electric power grid prior to the consuming of the second energy.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein during the consuming of the second energy, the rechargeable battery is coupled to the electric power grid via a first transformer and the energy device is coupled to the electric power grid via a second transformer physically distinct from the first transformer and remotely located from the first transformer.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first transformer is operated by a first electric power company, the second transformer is operated by a second electric power company different from the first electric power company, the account is associated with the second electric power company, the determining of the balance of the account comprises the second electric power company receiving debit information regarding the charging of the rechargeable battery from the first electric power company, and the method further comprises the second electric power company compensating the first electric power company for the consumption of the second energy.

20. The method of claim 10 further comprising controlling the discharging of the first energy based on the consuming of the second energy so that the consuming of the second energy and the discharging of the first energy occur simultaneously.

21. The method of claim 10 further comprising controlling the discharging of the first energy so that the discharging of the first energy occurs subsequent to the consuming of the second energy.

22. The method of claim 10 further comprising controlling the discharging of the first energy so that the discharging of the first energy occurs prior to the consuming of the second energy.

23. An electric vehicle charging system comprising:

an electric power grid;

an electric vehicle coupled to the electric power grid;

an energy device coupled to the electric power grid; and

processing circuitry configured to;

receive information regarding charging of the electric vehicle with energy from the electric power grid;

determine an amount of energy stored by the energy device; and

control a transfer of the stored energy to the electric power grid using the information regarding the charging of the electric vehicle.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the electric vehicle comprises at least a portion of the processing circuitry.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the energy device comprises at least a portion of the processing circuitry.

26. An energy device control apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry configured to;

access first information regarding first energy stored by an energy device coupled to an electric power grid, the energy device being associated with an account;

access second information regarding charging of an electric vehicle with second energy from the electric power grid, the electric vehicle being associated with the account;

control the energy device to transfer the stored first energy to the electric power grid based on the first information; and

determine a balance of the account based on the second information and the transfer of the stored first energy to the electric power grid.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the accessing of the second information comprises receiving information regarding timing of the charging of the electric vehicle and wherein the controlling of the transfer comprises controlling timing of the transfer using the information regarding the timing of the charging.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the controlling of the transfer comprises controlling the transfer to affect the charging of the electric vehicle.

29. An electric vehicle comprising:

a rechargeable battery;

a charger; and

processing circuitry configured to;

access information regarding an amount of first energy stored by an energy device coupled to an electric power grid, wherein the electric vehicle and the energy device are associated with an account;

control a transfer of second energy from the electric power grid to the rechargeable battery via the charger using the information regarding the amount of the first stored energy; and

wherein a balance of the account is determined based upon an amount of the first energy transferred from the energy device to the electric power grid and an amount of the second energy transferred from the electric power grid to the charger to charge the rechargeable battery.