System for measuring electricity and method of providing and using the same

• US 8,595,122 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2012
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ecotality Incorporated (Blink Charging Co.)
• Original Assignee: Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (Intertek Group PLC)
• Inventors: Page, Robert, Kamer, Doanld B.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, GREGORY L
• Application Number:
  US13/442,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20120197791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/20 using propulsion power generated by humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• 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 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• 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: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Some embodiments include a system for measuring electricity. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for measuring electricity, the system comprising:

a first measurement software module configured to measure a first measurement of a first quantity of electricity provided to a first electric load, the first measurement software module being configured to run at one or more first processing modules of a first measurement computer and configured to be stored in one or more first non-transitory memory storage modules of the first measurement computer; and

a second measurement software module configured to measure a second measurement of a second quantity of electricity provided to a second electric load, the second measurement software module being configured to run at one or more second processing modules of a second measurement computer and configured to be stored in one or more second non-transitory memory storage modules of the second measurement computer;

wherein;

the first electric load comprises the second electric load and a third electric load;

the second electric load comprises an electric load of an electric vehicle charging station;

the first quantity of electricity provided to the first electric load comprises the second quantity of electricity provided to the second electric load; and

at least one of;

(a) the first measurement software module is configured to approximately synchronize at a clock time measuring the first measurement with the second measurement software module measuring the second measurement or (b) the second measurement software module is configured to approximately synchronize at the clock time measuring the second measurement with the first measurement software module measuring the first measurement.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the second measurement software module is configured to receive the first measurement from the first measurement software module, to subtract the second measurement from the first measurement to determine a net measurement of a net quantity of electricity, and to communicate with a centralized computer system in order to provide the centralized computer system with at least one of the first measurement, the second measurement, or the net measurement.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the second measurement software module is configured to provide the second measurement to the first measurement software module; and

the first measurement software module is configured to subtract the second measurement from the first measurement to determine a net measurement of a net quantity of electricity and to communicate with a centralized computer system in order to provide the centralized computer system with at least one of the first measurement, the second measurement, or the net measurement.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of;

(a) the first measurement software module is configured to receive the second measurement from the second measurement software module and to communicate with a centralized computer system in order to provide the centralized computer system with the first measurement and the second measurement;

(b) the second measurement software module is configured to provide the second measurement to the first measurement software module, and the first measurement software module is configured to communicate with the centralized computer system in order to provide the centralized computer system with the first measurement and the second measurement;

or (c) the first measurement software module is configured to communicate with the centralized computer system in order to provide the centralized computer system with the first measurement, and the second measurement software module is configured to communicate with the centralized computer system in order to provide the centralized computer system with the second measurement; and

the centralized computer system is configured to subtract the second measurement from the first measurement to determine a net measurement of a net quantity of electricity.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first measurement software module and the second measurement software module are configured to communicate with each other via a communication network.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein:

at least one of the first measurement software module or the second measurement software module is configured to communicate with the centralized computer system via at least one of;

a communication system of a metering infrastructure, the metering infrastructure comprising the first measurement computer;

or

a communication network.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the system comprises at least one of the first measurement computer, the second measurement computer, or the centralized computer system.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the centralized computer system comprises at least one computer database configured to store at least one of the first measurement, the second measurement, or the net measurement.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the electric vehicle charging station comprises the second measurement computer.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first electric load comprises an electric load of one of a personal residence or a business; and

the electric load of the one of the personal residence or the business comprises the second electric load and the third electric load.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the third electric load comprises a structure electric load that is for a structure comprising the electric vehicle charging station and that is devoid of the electric load of the electric vehicle charging station.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the electric load of the electric vehicle charging station comprises a vehicle electric load provided from the electric vehicle charging station to a rechargeable energy storage system of an electric vehicle.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the third electric load comprises an electric load of a second electric vehicle charging station.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a third measurement software module configured to measure a third measurement of a third quantity of electricity provided to the third electric load, the third measurement software module being configured to run at one or more third processing modules of a third measurement computer and configured to be stored in one or more third non-transitory memory storage modules of the third measurement computer;

the first electric load further comprises a fourth electric load;

the first quantity of electricity provided to the first electric load comprises the second quantity of electricity provided to the second electric load and the third quantity of electricity provided to the third electric load; and

at least one of;

(a) the first measurement software module is configured to approximately synchronize at the clock time measuring the first measurement with the second measurement software module measuring the second measurement and the third measurement software module measuring the third measurement, (b) the second measurement software module is configured to approximately synchronize at the clock time measuring the second measurement with the first measurement software module measuring the first measurement and the third measurement software module measuring the third measurement, or (c) the third measurement software module is configured to approximately synchronize at the clock time measuring the third measurement with the first measurement software module measuring the first measurement and the second measurement software module measuring the second measurement.

15. A method of providing a system for measuring electricity, the method comprising:

providing a second measurement software module configured to measure a second measurement of a second quantity of electricity provided to a second electric load, the second electric load comprising an electric load of an electric vehicle charging station and the second measurement software module being configured to run at one or more second processing modules of a second measurement computer and configured to be stored in one or more second non-transitory memory storage modules of the second measurement computer; and

configuring at least one of;

(a) the second measurement software module to approximately synchronize at a clock time measuring the second measurement of the second quantity of electricity provided to the second electric load with a first measurement of a first quantity of electricity provided to a first electric load measured by a first measurement software module or (b) the first measurement software module to approximately synchronize at the clock time measuring the first measurement of the first quantity of electricity provided to the first electric load with the second measurement of the second quantity of electricity provided to the second electric load measured by the second measurement software module, the first measurement software module being configured to run at one or more first processing modules of a first measurement computer and configured to be stored in one or more first non-transitory memory storage modules of the first measurement computer;

wherein;

the first electric load comprises the second electric load and a third electric load; and

the first quantity of electricity provided to the first electric load comprises the second quantity of electricity provided to the second electric load.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing the first measurement software module configured to measure the first measurement of the first quantity of electricity provided to the first electric load.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

electrically coupling together the first measurement software module and the second measurement software module via a communication network such that the first measurement software module and the second measurement software module are in communication with each other.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

electrically coupling at least one of the first measurement software module or the second measurement software module to a centralized computer system via at least one of;

(a) a communication system of a metering infrastructure, the metering infrastructure comprising the first measurement computer, or (b) a communication network, such that the centralized computer system and the at least one of the first measurement software module or the second measurement software module are in communication with each other.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

providing the centralized computer system.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

establishing communication between the centralized computer system and at least one computer database.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

electrically coupling the second measurement computer to the electric vehicle charging station.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

electrically coupling the first measurement computer to an electric main providing electricity to a residence or a business.

23. A method of measuring electricity, the method comprising:

measuring a first measurement of a first quantity of electricity provided to a first electric load, the first electric load comprising a second electric load of an electric vehicle charging station and a third electric load, and the first quantity of electricity comprising a second quantity of electricity provided to the second electric load; and

measuring a second measurement of the second quantity of electricity provided to the second electric load;

wherein;

at least one of;

(a) measuring the first measurement is approximately synchronized at a clock time with measuring the second measurement or (b) measuring the second measurement is approximately synchronized at the clock time with measuring the first measurement.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein:

measuring the first measurement of the first quantity of electricity provided to the first electric load comprises measuring the first measurement with a first measurement module; and

measuring the second measurement of the second quantity of electricity provided to the second electric load comprises measuring the second measurement with a second measurement module separate from the first measurement module.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

providing the first measurement to the second measurement module.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

providing the second measurement to the first measurement module.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

providing at least one of the first measurement or the second measurement to a centralized computer system.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

calculating a net measurement of a net quantity of electricity by subtracting the second measurement from the first measurement.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

providing the net measurement to a centralized computer system.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

requiring payment for the second quantity of electricity according to a first cost of electricity; and

requiring payment for the net quantity of electricity according to a different cost of electricity.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein:

measuring the first measurement of the first quantity of electricity provided to the first electric load comprises measuring a gross quantity of electricity provided to one of a residence comprising the electric vehicle charging station or a business comprising the electric vehicle charging station; and

measuring the second measurement of the second quantity of electricity provided to the second electric load comprises measuring a subordinate quantity of electricity provided to the electric vehicle charging station to charge a rechargeable energy storage system of an electric vehicle.

32. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

referencing at least one clock to determine the clock time when performing at least one of;

measuring the first measurement or measuring the second measurement.