Method and system for co-operative charging of electric vehicles

• US 8,324,859 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Comverge Incorporated (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rossi, John
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US12/699,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• 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 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 2270/46 Heat pumps, e.g. for cabin heating
• 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 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• 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 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• 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: H01M 10/441 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 : using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 : using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 : involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 : the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• 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 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 : for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• 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 10/14 : Energy storage units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/128 : involving the use of Internet protocol

Abstract

A method and system provide for the cooperative charging of electric vehicles. By using power line communications, chargers of the electric vehicles who are serviced by the same distribution transformer can form self-contained local area networks due to the nature of power line communications (PLCs). Alternatively, or in addition to the PLCs, other communication networks, such as the Internet and local area networks, may be used as part of the communications infrastructure for the chargers. After the chargers of the electric vehicles are coupled to one another through power line communications or traditional communications networks, they can form a logical token ring network. According to this token ring network, a predetermined number of tokens can be assigned within the token ring network for permitting chargers with tokens to charge respective electric vehicles while chargers without tokens must wait until they receive a token to initiate charging.

Claims

1. A cooperative electric vehicle charging system comprising:

an electric vehicle charger including a communication transceiver, and a central processing unit for executing instructions stored in a computer readable medium that include;

determining a priority for a token assignment among the one or more members of the token ring network, the token assignment comprising a list of one or more electric vehicle chargers that are designated to receive a token based on the priority, wherein a receipt of a token permits an electric vehicle charger to start one of an upload and download of electricity; and

passing the token to an electric vehicle charger.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle charger is coupled to an energy storage unit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the energy storage unit comprises at least one of a battery and a capacitor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle charger is coupled to an electric vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electric vehicle comprises one of a pure electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications transceiver operates according to a standard protocol.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications transceiver comprises a power line communications transceiver.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications transceiver comprises a local area network communications device.

9. A method for establishing a cooperative electric vehicle charging system comprising:

generating a list of one or more electric vehicle chargers who are members of a token ring network;

assigning a token to a first electric charger according to predetermined criteria;

determining a priority for a token assignment among the one or more members of the token ring network;

passing the token to an electric vehicle charger with the determined priority using a communications transceiver comprising a gateway; and

initiating charging with the electric vehicle charger with the determined priority.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring a status of electric vehicle chargers who are members of the token ring network while charging with the electric vehicle charger having the determined priority.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises a determination based on a permanent serial number assigned to the electric vehicle charger.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the priority for the token assignment comprises assessing an amount of time available to charge a respective electric vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the priority for the token assignment comprises assessing an amount of charge needed for a respective electric vehicle.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the priority for the token assignment comprises assessing a current rate of electricity available for charging an electric vehicle.

15. A method for establishing a cooperative electric vehicle charging system comprising:

assigning a token to a first electric charger of a token ring network according to predetermined criteria;

determining a priority for a token assignment among the one or more members of the token ring network;

passing the token to an electric vehicle charger with the determined priority using a communications transceiver comprising a gateway; and

initiating one of uploading of electricity from an energy storage unit and charging of the energy storage unit with the electric vehicle charger with the determined priority.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating a list of one or more electric vehicle chargers who are members of a token ring network.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising monitoring a status of electric vehicle chargers who are members of the token ring network while charging with the electric vehicle charger of the determined priority.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises a determination based on a permanent serial number assigned to the electric vehicle charger.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the priority for the token assignment comprises assessing an amount of time available to charge a respective electric vehicle.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining if the electric vehicle charger has selected a lower current value to charge remaining levels in a storage device and passing the token to a next electric vehicle charger if the electric vehicle charger has selected the lower current value.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the electric vehicle charger which has selected the lower current value is permitted to continue charging at the lower current even after the token is passed to the next electric vehicle.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising calculating a predetermined time of day in order to initiate the charging of the energy storage unit.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each charger calculates its own charging start time of day according to a randomization function.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein each charger determines if it has reached a predetermined time of day that was communicated by a central controller.

25. A method for reducing a load on an electric grid, comprising:

coupling one or more appliances to a distribution transformer;

controlling one of downloading and uploading of energy from the one or more appliances with electronic intelligence which is distributed across the one of more appliances so that a load on the distribution transformer is substantially reduced, the electronic intelligence comprising a token assignment, the token assignment comprising a list of the one or more appliances that are designated to receive a token based on a priority, a receipt of a token permits an appliance to start one of an upload and download of electricity.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising establishing a network among the one or more appliances.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising assigning a token to a first appliance according to predetermined criteria.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein controlling one of downloading and uploading of energy from the one or more appliances with electronic intelligence further comprises calculating a predetermined time of day in order to initiate the downloading or uploading of energy.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein controlling one of downloading and uploading of energy from the one or more appliances with electronic intelligence further comprises downloading a predetermined time of day from a central controller in order to initiate the downloading of energy to the appliances or uploading of energy from the appliances.