Automatic and dynamic home electricity load balancing for the purpose of EV charging

• US 8,648,566 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2012
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Inventors: Billmaier, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US13/492,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20120313434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 611 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 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 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/02 using a single network for simultaneous distribution of power at different frequencies; using a single network for simultaneous distribution of ac power and of dc power
• 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A circuit breaker monitors a total present electric current consumption value for electric consumers served by the service panel and not served by the circuit breaker, compares the present electric current consumption value with a preset maximum current capacity limit, and sets an electric charging current drawn from the service panel to a value less than a difference between the maximum current capacity limit and a sum of the total present electric current consumption value and a preset current consumption value for an electric consumer that is presently not drawing current.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker formed to interface with at least one power rail of an electric service panel, the circuit breaker comprising:

a first input to monitor a total present electric current consumption value for a plurality of electric consumers served by the service panel and not served by the circuit breaker;

logic to compare the present electric current consumption value with a preset maximum current capacity limit;

a second input to receive electric current from the service panel;

an output to supply electric current from the first input to an electric consumer;

logic to set an electric charging current drawn from the service panel through the second input and provided to the output to a value less than a difference between the maximum current capacity limit and a sum of the total present electric current consumption value and a preset current consumption value for an electric consumer coupled to the service panel but that is presently not drawing current.

2. The circuit breaker of claim 1, further comprising:

the electric consumer is a group of more than one electric consumers that are expected to be drawing current at the same time, based on one or more of the time of day or day of the week.

3. The circuit breaker of claim 1, further comprising:

logic representing an offset amount of current reflecting a location of the circuit breaker along the power rail of the service panel, the offset amount representing an amount of current used by electric consumers served by breakers above the circuit breaker on the power rail.