Electric vehicle supply equipment

• US 9,073,439 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Kenneth J., Ramirez, Carlos E., Soto, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US14/025,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20140015487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/34 electric cords or electric power cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4473 without arrangements or adaptations for rotating the core or former
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

Electric vehicle supply equipment includes an enclosure, an electric vehicle supply circuit for providing a flow of current to an electric vehicle, a charge circuit interrupting device, the charge circuit interrupting device arranged to interrupt the flow of current to the electric vehicle, a grounding monitor circuit, the grounding monitor circuit coupled to grounding conductors, the grounding monitor circuit having a grounding output signal, a ground default detection circuit, the ground fault detection circuit coupled to current carrying conductors, the ground fault detection circuit having a fault detection output signal, a controller, the controller coupled to the grounding monitor circuit, the ground fault detection circuit and the charge circuit interrupting device, the controller arranged to control the charge circuit interrupting device, and logic arranged to receive the grounding and fault detection signals and the control signal, and assert a close signal based upon the grounding and fault detection signals.

Claims

1. Electric vehicle supply equipment, comprising:

an enclosure;

an electric vehicle supply circuit for providing a flow of current to an electric vehicle from a power source;

a charge circuit interrupting device located within the enclosure, the charge circuit interrupting device being arranged to interrupt the flow of current to the electric vehicle;

a grounding monitor circuit located within the enclosure, the grounding monitor circuit coupled to grounding conductors, the grounding monitor circuit having a grounding output signal;

a ground default detection circuit located within the enclosure, the ground fault detection circuit coupled to current carrying conductors, the ground fault detection circuit having a fault detection output signal;

a controller located within the enclosure, the controller coupled to the grounding monitor circuit, the ground fault detection circuit and the charge circuit interrupting device, where the controller is constructed and arranged to monitor the charge circuit interrupting device by providing a control signal to the charge circuit interrupting device; and

logic circuitry arranged to receive results from the charge circuit interrupting device, the grounding output signal and fault detection output signals and the control signal, and assert a close signal based upon the grounding output signal and fault detection signal.

2. The equipment of claim 1, further comprising a contact monitor circuit arranged to determine a state of the charge circuit interrupting device.

3. The equipment of claim 1, wherein the charge circuit interrupting device comprises a contactor circuit.

4. The equipment of claim 1, further comprising a power meter.

5. The equipment of claim 1, wherein the power meter is integral with the controller.

6. The equipment of claim 1, further comprising a network interface.

7. The equipment of claim 1, wherein the logic comprises a separate circuit.

8. The equipment of claim 1, wherein the logic is implemented in the controller.

9. The equipment of claim 1, further comprising a timer adapted to control the electric vehicle supply circuit.

10. The equipment of claim 9, wherein the timer is electrically coupled to the controller, the timer adapted to send a signal to the controller to enable the controller to control the charge circuit interrupting device by enabling or disabling the flow of current from the power source to the electric vehicle in response to the signal.

11. The equipment of claim 10, wherein the timer is adapted to enable and disable the electric vehicle supply circuit at a predetermined time.

12. The equipment of claim 10, wherein the timer is adapted and configured to enable the electric vehicle supply circuit to commence the flow of current to the electric vehicle during nighttime hours or hours with reduced electric rates.

13. The equipment of claim 10, wherein the timer is adapted to coordinate with a scheduling system.

14. The equipment of claim 10, wherein the timer sends an alarm.

15. The equipment of claim 13, wherein the scheduling system is adapted and configured to coordinate with one of a calendar utility and a portable communication device.

16. The equipment of claim 9, where the timer is integral with the electric vehicle supply circuit.

17. The equipment of claim 9, where the timer is implemented in software or firmware of the microcontroller.

18. The equipment of claim 9, further comprising a user interface for the timer.

19. The equipment of claim 18, wherein the user interface comprises an embedded server.

20. The equipment of claim 19, wherein the embedded server comprises an Internet web server.

21. The equipment of claim 9, wherein the timer is adapted to coordinate with an electric utility.

22. The equipment of claim 9, wherein the enclosure includes a timer interface for interacting with the timer.