Managing electric current allocation between charging equipment for charging electric vehicles

• US 9,201,408 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Inventors: Baxter, David, Hagenmaier, Carl F. Jr., Tormey, Milton T., Lowenthal, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US14/298,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/101, 320/107, 320/108, 320/106, 320/132, 320/134, 320/112, 320/149, 320/150, 361/64, 705/412, 324/434, 340/99.527, 141/94, 307/150
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• 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 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• 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 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A total amount of current drawn through a first charging equipment and a second charging equipment that wired on a same electrical circuit is limited to not exceed a maximum amount of electric current supported by the electrical circuit to prevent the electrical circuit from being overloaded, where limiting includes communicating a first current limit to a first electric vehicle connected to the first charging equipment to cause the first electric vehicle to limit its current draw to not exceed the first current limit, and communicating a second current limit to a second electric vehicle connected to the second charging equipment to cause the second electric vehicle to limit its current draw to not exceed the second current limit, where a sum of current being drawn at the first current limit and the second current limit does not exceed the maximum amount of electric current supported by the electrical circuit.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

limiting a total amount of current drawn through a first charging equipment and a second charging equipment that are each wired on a same electrical circuit to not exceed a maximum amount of electric current supported by the electrical circuit to prevent the electrical circuit from being overloaded, wherein limiting the total amount of current drawn through the first charging equipment and the second charging equipment includes;

communicating a first current limit to a first electric vehicle connected to the first charging equipment to cause the first electric vehicle to limit its current draw to not exceed the first current limit;

communicating a second current limit to a second electric vehicle connected to the second charging equipment to cause the second electric vehicle to limit its current draw to not exceed the second current limit; and

wherein a sum of current being drawn at the first current limit and the second current limit does not exceed the maximum amount of electric current supported by the electrical circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the first current limit to the first electric vehicle includes modulating a first signal to the first electric vehicle, and wherein communicating the second current limit to the second electric vehicle includes modulating a second signal to the second electric vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first current limit and the second current limit are substantially equal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first current limit is less than the second current limit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that electric current is no longer required to be drawn by the first electric vehicle, communicating a third current limit to the second electric vehicle connected to the second charging equipment to cause the second electric vehicle to limit its current draw to not exceed the third current limit, wherein the third current limit is greater than the second current limit, and wherein current being drawn at the third current limit does not exceed the maximum amount of electric current supported by the electrical circuit.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically adjusting the first current limit and the second current limit based on one or more of the following;

a percentage of charging completed by the first electric vehicle and the second electric vehicle;

a percentage of charging remaining of the first electric vehicle and the second electric vehicle;

a duration of charging of the first electric vehicle and the second electric vehicle; and

a type of account associated with the first electric vehicle and the second electric vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring current being drawn through the first charging equipment and the second charging equipment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to limiting the total amount of current drawn through the first charging equipment and the second charging equipment, receiving a first request for allocation of current corresponding to the first charging equipment and receiving a second request for allocation of current corresponding to the second charging equipment.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a controller coupled with a first charging equipment and a second charging equipment that share a same electrical circuit, the controller configured to perform the following;

limit a total amount of current drawn through the first charging equipment and the to not exceed a maximum amount of electric current supported by the electrical circuit to prevent the electrical circuit from being overloaded including;

communicate a first current limit to a first electric vehicle to cause the first electric vehicle to limit its current draw to not exceed the first current limit,

communicate a second current limit to a second electric vehicle to cause the second electric vehicle to limit its current draw to not exceed the second current limit, and

wherein a sum of current to be drawn at the first current limit and the second current limit does not exceed the maximum amount of electric current supported by the electrical circuit.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to modulate a first signal to the first electric vehicle to communicate the first current limit to the first electric vehicle, and wherein the controller is configured to modulate a second signal to the second electric vehicle to communicate the second current limit to the second electric vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first current limit and the second current limit are substantially equal.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first current limit is less than the second current limit.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to reallocate current upon a determination that electric current is no longer required to be drawn by the first electric vehicle including to communicate a third current limit to the second electric vehicle connected to the second charging equipment to cause the second electric vehicle to limit its current draw to not exceed the third current limit, wherein the third current limit is greater than the second current limit, and wherein current to be drawn at the third current limit does not exceed the maximum amount of electric current supported by the electrical circuit.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to:

dynamically adjust the first current limit and the second current limit based on one or more of the following;

a percentage of charging completed by the first electric vehicle and the second electric vehicle;

a percentage of charging remaining of the first electric vehicle and the second electric vehicle;

a duration of charging of the first electric vehicle and the second electric vehicle; and

a type of account associated with the first electric vehicle and the second electric vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a current measuring device configured to measure current drawn through the first charging equipment and the second charging equipment.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to, prior to limiting the total amount of current drawn through the first charging equipment and the second charging equipment, receive a first request for allocation of current corresponding to the first charging equipment and receive a second request for allocation of current corresponding to the second charging equipment.