Establishing a power charging association on a powerline network

• US 9,026,813 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Zyren, James, Katar, Srinivas, Krishnam, Manjunath, Yonge, Lawrence W. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASSITY, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US12/980,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 713/310
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• 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 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Associating service agents in communication over a network to one or more respective clients coupled to the network at respective ports of the network is described. At a first service agent, a first signal is received from a first client coupled to the network at a first port. The first signal propagates over a first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first port. An association between the first service agent and the first client is established based at least in part on a difference between: the first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first port, and a second signal propagation path between the first service agent and a second port or between a second service agent and the first port.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first service agent of a powerline network, a first signal from a first client coupled to a first attachment point of the powerline network; and

establishing a power charging association between the first service agent and the first client based, at least in part, on a difference between

a first signal attenuation of the first signal propagated over a first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first attachment point, and

a second signal attenuation of the first signal propagated over a second signal propagation path, wherein the second signal propagation path is either between the first service agent and a second attachment point of the powerline network or between a second service agent and the first attachment point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the difference based, at least in part, on the first service agent changing a communication channel characteristic of one of the first and second signal propagation paths.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein changing the communication channel characteristic comprises attenuating at least a first attenuated portion of a spectrum of a first communication channel corresponding to one of the first and second signal propagation paths relative to a second communication channel corresponding to the other of the first and second signal propagation paths, the first attenuated portion of the spectrum of the first communication channel overlapping with a predetermined spectrum of the first signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the attenuating comprises applying a notch filter at a predetermined frequency location of the spectrum to only one of the first and second signal propagation paths.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the first service agent changing the communication channel characteristic in response to receiving a message from the first client after the first client is coupled to the first attachment point.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a localized event controlled by the first service agent that is detected by the first client; and

comparing a first timestamp corresponding to an initiation of the localized event by the first service agent to a second timestamp corresponding to detection of the localized event by the first client.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second signal propagation path is between the second service agent and the first attachment point.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching a power relay controlled by the first service agent to start supply of power to the first client via the first attachment point;

recording a timestamp of the switching; and

sending the timestamp of the switching to the first client.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first service agent causing a relay to change the first signal attenuation during propagation of the first signal from the first client.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein changing the first signal attenuation comprises changing the first signal attenuation in a sequence that is unique within the powerline network to the first service agent.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first service agent causing a relay to change the second signal attenuation without changing the first signal propagation path.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the second signal propagation path is between the first service agent and the second attachment point.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising including a first notch filter in the first signal propagation path and a second notch filter in the second signal propagation path, wherein the first notch filter and the second notch filter have different frequency responses.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching a first power relay in the first signal propagation path to an open state while a second power relay in the second signal propagation path is closed; and

switching the second power relay in the second signal propagation path to an open state while the first power relay in the first signal propagation path is closed.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the second service agent, the first signal from the first client, the first signal propagating over the second signal propagation path between the second service agent and the first attachment point.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

exchanging messages between a group of service agents including the first service agent and the second service agent, the messages including attenuation information associated with propagation of the first signal from the first client; and

determining the difference between the first signal attenuation and the second signal attenuation based, at least in part, on the attenuation information.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the power charging association between the first service agent and the first client is based, at least in part, on timing of an event associated with the first service agent.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the event comprises initiation of a signal providing power to a battery in the first client over at least a portion of the first signal propagation path.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing power to a battery in the first client over at least a portion of the first signal propagation path, after establishing the power charging association between the first service agent and the first client.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a message via the powerline network, the message having at least a first signal attenuation measurement regarding the first signal received from the first client via the first signal propagation path.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal comprises a series of sounding messages from the first client received in response to the first client being coupled to the first attachment point.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

matching the first client to the first attachment point based, at least in part, on the first signal attenuation being lower than the second signal attenuation.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal traverses both the first signal propagation path and the second signal propagation path, and wherein the first signal becomes more attenuated on the second signal propagation path than on the first signal propagation path.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client comprises a power electric vehicle.

20. A powerline network, comprising:

a plurality of attachment points of the powerline network, each attachment point independently capable of being coupled with a client; and

a plurality of service agents in communication over the powerline network, wherein at least a first service agent is suitable to;

receive a first signal from a first client coupled at a first attachment point of the powerline network; and

establish a power charging association between the first service agent and the first client based, at least in part, on a difference between

a first signal attenuation of the first signal propagated over a first signal propagation path between the first service agent and the first attachment point, and

a second signal attenuation of the first signal propagated over a second signal propagation path, wherein the second signal propagation path is either between the first service agent and a second attachment point of the powerline network or between a second service agent and the first attachment point.

21. The powerline network of claim 20, further comprising at least one client coupled to the first attachment point of the powerline network.

27. A first service agent for providing power to a power electric vehicle, the first service agent comprising:

a communication interface to couple the first service agent to a powerline network;

a processor; and

memory for storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the first service agent to;

measure a power level of a sounding signal received at the first service agent from the power electric vehicle,

share information about the power level of the sounding signal received at the first service agent from the power electric vehicle, and

establish a power charging association between the first service agent and the power electric vehicle based, at least in part, on the power level of the sounding signal received at the first service agent from the power electric vehicle being higher than reduced power levels of the sounding signal detected and reported by a second service agent.

28. The first service agent of claim 27, wherein the first service agent is associated with a plurality of attachment points, each attachment point independently capable of being coupled with the power electric vehicle.

29. A method comprising:

receiving, at a plurality of service agents of a powerline network, a first signal from a first client coupled to a first attachment point of the powerline network;

measuring a first signal attenuation of the first signal propagated via a first signal propagation path between a first service agent and the first attachment point;

measuring a second signal attenuation of the first signal propagated via a second signal propagation path, wherein the second signal propagation path is either between the first service agent and a second attachment point of the powerline network or between a second service agent and the first attachment point;

identifying the first service agent to provide power to the first client based, at least in part, on a difference between the first signal attenuation and the second signal attenuation; and

establishing a power charging association between the first service agent and the first client.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

providing power to a battery in the first client over at least a portion of the first signal propagation path, after establishing the power charging association between the first service agent and the first client.