Patent Application
20240408986
Electric vehicles (EVs) rely on batteries that periodically need to be charged. EV owners can readily charge their vehicles at home, where they have exclusive access to home charging stations or electrical outlets. But when away from home, EV owners rely on and have to share charging stations in public or private places such as workplaces, shopping centers, movie venues, restaurants, and hotels.
The demand for charging stations is increasing as the number of EVs continues to increase. Businesses are starting to add charging stations to their parking lots as a perk for their employees and customers. Also, some local governments are mandating that businesses add charging stations.
Thus, whether driven by consumer demand or government mandate, more charging stations are being installed outside the home. However, the cost of a charging station (hardware, including dedicated power lines, and installation) is relatively high and is usually borne by the business owner. Accordingly, a solution that reduces the cost of charging stations would be valuable, by lessening the burden on businesses while increasing the availability of charging stations to EV owners.
Even if the cost of charging stations (including installation) is reduced, it will remain inefficient from a cost point-of-view to install enough charging stations to satisfy peak demand. Thus, charging stations will still need to be shared. EV owners by their nature understand the need to share charging stations, but nevertheless they are inconvenienced by the need to move their vehicle from a parking space to a charging station once the charging station becomes available, and then move their vehicle to another parking space after their vehicle is charged to make room for another vehicle. Accordingly, a solution that makes it easier for EV owners to share charging stations would also be valuable.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to multivehicle charging systems and methods of charging electric vehicles. The multivehicle charging systems can include a number of different charging stations, and each charging station can include an input that receives a voltage. The voltage comes from an electrical panel (e.g., a main alternating current [AC] power source) and is delivered over a dedicated circuit to a charging station or a group of charging stations, depending on the implementation; see
According to one disclosed embodiment, a method of charging one or more electric vehicles (EVs) is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a higher voltage side of a printed circuit board including a controller and a processor, an alternating current (AC) charging current over a dedicated circuit from an electric power supply, the printed circuit board also including a lower voltage side that receives power from a second power supply to power the processor, the lower voltage side receiving a voltage less than a voltage received by the higher voltage side, and directing the charging current from the higher voltage side of the printed circuit board to a plurality of output connections, the directing the charging current from the higher voltage side of the printed circuit board including directing the charging current to a first output connection of the plurality of output connections, determining a state of charge of an EV connected to a first output head coupled to the first output connection, and stopping the charging current directed to the first output connection and directing the charging current to a second output connection when the state of charge of the EV is above a predetermined charge threshold.
According to some embodiments, the determining a state of charge of an EV connected to a first output head coupled to the first output connection includes accessing an EV charging signature of the EV.
According to some embodiments, the predetermined charge threshold is reached when the EV is substantially half charged based on the charging signature of the EV.
According to some embodiments, the predetermined charge threshold is reached when the EV is substantially within a range of 60-80 percent charged based on the charging signature of the EV.
According to some embodiments, the predetermined charge threshold is reached when the EV is substantially 90 percent charged based on the charging signature of the EV.
According to some embodiments, the method includes stopping the charging current directed to the first output connection after 30 minutes or some other time period regardless of the state of charge of the EV.
According to some embodiments, the method includes stopping the charging current directed to the second output connection and directing the charging current to a third output connection when the state of charge of an EV connected to a second output head coupled to the second output connection is above the predetermined charge threshold.
According to some embodiments, the method includes determining that a plurality of EVs are connected to the plurality of output connections, and charging the plurality of EVs one at a time in a round robin fashion until the EVs of the plurality of EVs each reach the predetermined charge threshold.
According to some embodiments, the method includes determining, before the charging current is provided to the first output connection, whether there is an electrical load coupled to the first output connection, where the charging current is not directed to the first output connection if there is not an electrical load coupled to the output connection.
According to some embodiments, the first output connection is further coupled to a second output head, and the first output connection is operable to split the charging current between the first output head and the second output head if the first and second heads are concurrently connected to EVs that are below the predetermined charge threshold.
According to another embodiment, an electric vehicle (EV) charging system is disclosed. The charging system includes a controller including a central processing unit and implemented on a single printed circuit board, the printed circuit board also including a lower voltage side operable to power the central processing unit (CPU), the printed circuit board also including a higher voltage side operable to receive an alternating current (AC) charging current delivered over a dedicated circuit from an AC power supply, where the CPU receives power from a lower voltage power supply that is separate from the AC power supply and that is not powered by the AC power supply, and where a voltage from the lower voltage power supply is less than a voltage from the AC power supply, and a plurality of output connections coupled to the controller. Each of the output connections is couplable to at least one head of a plurality of heads that are connectable to EVs. The controller is operable to direct the AC charging current from the higher voltage side of the printed circuit board to a first one of the output connections if a first EV is connected to a head coupled to the first one of the output connections, determine a state of charge of an EV connected to a first output head coupled to the first output connection, and stop the charging current directed to the first output connection and directing the charging current to a second output connection when the state of charge of the EV is above a predetermined charge threshold.
According to some embodiments, the determine that a charging status of the first EV is above a threshold includes the controller accessing an EV charging signature of the EV.
According to some embodiments, the predetermined charge threshold is reached when the EV is substantially half charged.
According to some embodiments, the predetermined charge threshold is reached when the EV is substantially within a range of 60-80 percent charged.
According to some embodiments, the predetermined charge threshold is reached when the EV is substantially 90 percent charged.
According to some embodiments, the controller is operable to stop the charging current directed to the first output connection after 30 minutes.
According to some embodiments, the controller is operable to stop the charging current directed to the second output connection, and to direct the charging current to a third output connection when the state of charge of an EV connected to a second output head coupled to the second output connection is above the predetermined charge threshold.
According to some embodiments, the controller is further operable to determine that a plurality of EVs are connected to the plurality of output connections, and charge the plurality of EVs one at a time in a round robin fashion until the EVs of the plurality of EVs each reach the predetermined charge threshold.
According to some embodiments, the controller is further operable to determine, before the charging current is provided to the first output connection, whether there is an electrical load coupled to the first output connection, where the charging current is not directed to the first output connection if there is not an electrical load coupled to the first output connection.
According to a different embodiment, a method of charging one or more electric vehicles (EVs) is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a higher voltage side of a printed circuit board including a controller and a processor, an alternating current (AC) charging current over a dedicated circuit from an electric power supply, the printed circuit board also including a lower voltage side that receives power from a second power supply to power the processor, the lower voltage side receiving a voltage less than a voltage received by the higher voltage side, and directing the charging current from the higher voltage side of the printed circuit board to a plurality of output connections. Directing the charging current from the higher voltage side of the printed circuit board includes directing the charging current to a first output connection of the plurality of output connections, determining that a state of charge of an EV connected to a first output head coupled to the first output connection is above a predetermined charge threshold, determining that the EV connected to the first output connection is the only EV connected to any output connection of the plurality of output connections, and continuing to charge the EV beyond the predetermined charge threshold responsive to the determining that the EV connected to the first output connection is the only EV connected to any output connection of the plurality of output connections.
These and other objects and advantages of the various embodiments according to the present invention will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the embodiments that are illustrated in the various drawing figures.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification and in which like numerals depict like elements, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.
Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While described in conjunction with these embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to these embodiments. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present disclosure.
Some portions of the detailed descriptions that follow are presented in terms of procedures, logic blocks, processing, and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. In the present application, a procedure, logic block, process, or the like, is conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading to a desired result. The steps are those utilizing physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, although not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as transactions, bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, samples, pixels, or the like.
It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present disclosure, discussions utilizing terms such as “receiving,” “directing,” “sending,” “stopping,” “determining,” “generating,” “displaying,” “indicating,” “turning on,” “turning off,” or the like, refer to actions and processes (e.g., flowcharts 1100, 1200, 1300, 1800, and 2500 of
Embodiments described herein may be discussed in the general context of computer-executable instructions residing on some form of computer-readable storage medium, such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable storage media may comprise non-transitory computer storage media and communication media. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.
Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory (e.g., an SSD or NVMD) or other memory technology, compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile disks (DVDs) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and that can accessed to retrieve that information.
Communication media can embody computer-executable instructions, data structures, and program modules, and includes any information delivery media. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above can also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.
In overview, in embodiments according to the present disclosure, a single circuit (power circuit) is routed to multiple charging stations (or to a single station that has multiple charging connectors, which are referred to herein as output connections, connectors, or cables). At any one time, only one of the charging stations/connectors on that single circuit is being used to charge a vehicle. That vehicle is charged for a specified period of time (e.g., 30 minutes), charging of that vehicle is then stopped, and then the next charging station/connector on the single circuit is used to charge another vehicle for a specified period of time (e.g., 30 minutes, or some other length of time), and so on according to a charging sequence or procedure. For example, if there are four charging stations/connectors on a single circuit and a vehicle is connected to each charging station/connector, then vehicle 1 at station/connector 1 is charged for a specified time period (the other vehicles are not being charged while vehicle 1 is charged), then vehicle 2 at station/connector 2 is charged, and so on, then back to vehicle 1 at station/connector 1 in, for example, round-robin fashion (a round-robin charging sequence). If a vehicle is not connected to a charging station/connector, or if the vehicle connected to a charging station/connector does not need to be charged, then that charging station/connector is bypassed in accordance with the charging procedure.
In the example of
As will be described in conjunction with
Continuing with reference to the example of
An EV can be any type of vehicle such as, but not limited to, a car, truck, motorcycle, golf cart, or motorized (power-assisted) bicycle.
Embodiments according to the present invention can be utilized in Level 2 or Level 3 charging stations, although the present invention is not limited to such types of charging stations and can be utilized in other types that may come into existence in the future. In an embodiment, the maximum charging current is 32 amps, but again embodiments according to the present invention are not so limited.
In embodiments according to the present invention, using the example of
In an embodiment, a charging current is not provided to an output connection if there is not an electrical load (e.g., an EV) connected to that output connection. In an embodiment, a charging current is not provided to an output connection if the EV connected to that output connection does not require further charging.
In an embodiment, in the example of
In an embodiment, each interval is 30 minutes in length, but the present invention is not so limited. The length of each interval is programmable and is changeable. The length of an interval for an output connection can be different from that of another output connection; in other words, the lengths of the intervals do not have to be the same across all of the output connections 141-144.
In another embodiment, a charging current is provided to one of the output connections 141-144 until the charging current drops below a threshold amount (e.g., 50 percent of peak), the charging current to that output connection is stopped, switched to another one of the output connections, restarted until the charging current again drops below a threshold amount, and so on (additional detail is provided below in the example of
With reference still to the example of
As noted above, if an output connection is not connected to an EV or if the EV does not require further charging, then the output connection is automatically skipped. However, the present invention is not so limited. For example, an output connection can be designated as a priority connection, in which case a charging current is provided to the priority connection more frequently or for a longer period of time than to other output connections. More specifically, if there are four output connections (1, 2, 3, and 4) that are used in round-robin fashion, then the charging sequence would be 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4, etc. (assuming an EV is connected to each of the output connections). If output connection 2 is designated as a priority connection, then the charging sequence might be 1-2-3-2-4-2-1-2-3-2-4-2, etc., or 2-1-2-3-4-2-1-2-3-4-2, etc. (again, assuming an EV is connected to each of the output connections). The charging procedure or sequence is programmable and is changeable. In terms of charging time, if output connection 2 is designated as a priority connection, then the charging times might be (in minutes) 30-60-30-30-30-60-30-30, etc. (assuming a round-robin procedure and an EV is connected to each of the output connections).
As mentioned above, in an embodiment, if there is not an EV connected to the output connection, then a charging current is not supplied to the output connection; in other words, that output connection is skipped. In such an embodiment, before a charging current is provided to an output connection, the charging system is configured to detect whether an EV is connected to that output connection (additional detail is provided below in the example of
Also as mentioned above, in an embodiment, a charging current is not provided to an output connection if the EV connected to that output connection does not require further charging. In such an embodiment, before a charging current is provided to an output connection, the charging system is configured to automatically determine whether or not an EV connected to an output connection requires a charge. For example, an EV's charge signature or state of charge (SOC) can be provided by the EV or accessed by the charging system to determine whether the EV's batteries are fully charged or at least charged to a threshold amount (see the discussion of
The flowchart 200 of
In the example of
In the example of
The main AC power source 130 is connected to each of the channels 1-4 by a respective relay R or switch that is individually controlled by the processor 402. As described herein, by turning on and off the relay or switch, a charging current is provided to a first one of the channels, the charging current to the first one of the channels is then turned off, a charging current is then provided to a second one of the channels, and so on. More specifically, for example, a charging current can be provided to a first one of the channels, turned off when an interval of time expires or when a charging threshold is reached, then provided to a second one of the channels, and so on. Also, in various embodiments, a charging current is provided to each of the channels one channel at a time in round-robin fashion, and/or a channel is designated as a priority channel, in which case a charging current is provided to the priority channel more frequently than to other channels. Many different charging sequences or procedures can be used.
In an embodiment, each of the channels 1-4 includes a respective current sensor CT and a respective voltage sensor VS. Accordingly, the controller 106 can detect whether an electrical load (e.g., an EV) is connected to a channel before a charging current is provided to the channel. In an embodiment, the controller 106 can also detect a charge signature for an EV connected to a channel before a charging current is provided to the channel; if the charge signature indicates that the EV does not require further charging (e.g., it is fully charged), then the charging current is not provided to the channel.
In an embodiment, the controller 106 can also automatically determine whether a channel is already drawing a current before a charging current is provided to the channel. If so, the controller indicates a fault condition (actually, the possibility of a fault condition is indicated). For example, an alert can be displayed on the GUI 304. Diagnostics can then be performed to determine whether an actual fault condition is present, and corrective actions can be performed if so.
In an embodiment, the controller 106 can also automatically determine whether a channel is drawing a current greater than the amount it is supposed to be drawing and, if so, the controller indicates a fault condition. For example, if the maximum current that should be drawn is 32 amps and if an amperage greater than that is detected, then a fault condition is indicated. For example, an alert can be displayed on the GUI 304. Diagnostics can then be performed to determine whether an actual fault condition is present, and corrective actions can be performed if so.
In an embodiment, at the end of each cycle through all of the channels 1-4, a check is made to ensure no channel is drawing a current. If a channel is drawing a current, then all relays are opened, and then a check is completed again to ensure all channels are off and not drawing current. Once it is confirmed that all channels are clear, the multivehicle charging process can then begin again.
In an embodiment, a channel is automatically shut down when any power-related fault or issue is detected. In an embodiment, if a channel has been shut down (either automatically or manually), the load check is bypassed on the channel until it is manually turned on again.
The implementation of
The implementation of
In the
Any combination of the implementations of
In the example of
In the example of
Continuing with the example of
In an embodiment, the charging current at each head (or output connection or channel) is monitored. In such an embodiment, when the charging current decreases to a preset threshold value (e.g., 50 percent, as in the example of
The charge signature can also be used to automatically determine whether or not an EV is fully charged. For example, if the charging current to a head (or output connection or channel) is turned on at time t0 but does not stabilize after a preset amount of time has passed (t2), then the charging current is turned off and switched to another head (or output connection or channel).
The flowchart 1100 of
In block 1104, a charging current generated using the voltage is directed to a first output connection (e.g., 541) if a first EV is connected to a head (e.g., 511) of the first output connection.
In block 1106, the charging current to the first output connection is stopped.
In block 1108, after the charging current to the first output connection is stopped, the charging current is directed to a second output connection (e.g., 542) if a second EV is connected to a head (e.g., 512) of the second output connection. In an embodiment, the charging current is directed to the first output connection for a first interval of time, stopped when the first interval expires, and then directed to the second output connection for a second interval of time. In an embodiment, the charging current is directed to the first output connection until the charging current drops to a threshold amperage, stopped when the threshold is reached, and then directed to the second output connection.
In an embodiment, in blocks 1104 and 1108, before the charging current is provided to an output connection, a determination is made as to whether the charging current should be provided.
In an embodiment, in blocks 1104 and 1108, before the charging current is provided to an output connection, a determination is made as to whether there is an electrical load connected to the output connection. In this embodiment, the charging current is not directed to the output connection if there is not an electrical load.
In an embodiment, in blocks 1104 and 1108, before the charging current is provided to an output connection, a determination is made as to whether an EV connected to the output connection requires further charging (e.g., is fully charged). For example, a charge signature for the EV can be used to determine whether the EV is fully charged. In this embodiment, the charging current is not provided to the output connection if the EV does not require further charging.
In an embodiment, in blocks 1104 and 1108, before a charging current is provided to an output connection, a determination is made as to whether the output connection is already drawing a current, and for indicating a fault condition when the output connection is drawing a current before the charging current is provided.
The flowchart 1200 of
In block 1204, the charging current to the first channel is turned off. In various embodiments, the charging current is turned off if a time interval expires or if the amperage of the charging current decreases to a particular threshold.
In block 1206, after the charging current to the first channel is turned off, a charging current is directed from the input power supply to a second one of the channels.
With reference also to
In block 1304, a charging current is provided to only one of the output cables at a time if multiple EVs are concurrently connected to the charging station via the heads. The charging current is provided to a first one of the output cables and then the charging current is stopped, switched to a second one of the output cables, and restarted.
The GUI 304 is a browser-based interface that utilizes current basic functions of the browser plus additional functionality that can be used to manage and monitor a multivehicle charging system or network that includes one or more charging stations such as those described previously herein. Each charging station, output connection, and/or head can be monitored and controlled (programmed) over a network.
Furthermore, some or all of the GUI 304 can be accessed remotely from another computer system or a device such as a smartphone, or information from the GUI can be pushed to remote devices such as other computer systems and smartphones. Also, in an embodiment, information from a smartphone or computer system, including a computer system or similar type of intelligent device on an EV, is received via the browser-based interface and used, for example, to control charging or to provide billing information to the owner or manager of the EV charging system.
In an embodiment, the display 1400 includes, in essence, a rendering of a map showing a network of charging stations 1-5 represented by the GUI elements 1401, 1402, 1403, 1404, and 1405 (1401-1405), respectively. The charging stations 1-5 may be exemplified by any of the charging stations described herein. In an embodiment, the display 1400 indicates the positions of the charging stations relative to one another and relative to nearby landmarks (e.g., the building A) as well as the approximate locations of the charging stations in a parking lot. Priority charging stations (stations with a priority connection or channel) can also be designated in the map; in the example of
The GUI elements 1401-1405 can be individually selected (e.g., by clicking on one of them with a mouse, or by touching one of them on a touch screen). When one of the GUI elements (e.g., the element 1401, corresponding to station 1) is selected, the display 1500 of
The GUI elements 1501-1504 can be used to indicate which of the output connections is connected to an EV and which one of the output connections is currently providing a charging current to an EV. In the example of
In an embodiment, the display 1600 is opened and displayed on the display device 1912 by selecting (clicking on or touching) the GUI element 1510. The display 1600 displays information for each of the output connections 141-144 of charging station 1. For example, the display 1600 can indicate the status of each of the output connections 141-144, to indicate which of the output connections is connected to an EV and which one of the output connections is providing a charging current to an EV, similar to what was described above. Other information, such as the voltage level and amperage for each output connection and the on/off status of each output connection, can also be displayed. Using the GUI elements 1611, 1612, 1613, and 1614, a user can individually turn off or turn on the output connections 141-144. Similar control mechanisms can be used to turn on and off individual charging stations and to turn on and off individual heads. Priority output connections can also be identified in some manner; in the example of
In an embodiment, the display 1600 includes a GUI element 1601, 1602, 1603, and 1604 (1601-1604) for the output connections 141-144, respectively. The GUI elements 1601-1604 can be individually selected (e.g., by clicking on one of them with a mouse, or by touching one of them). When one of the GUI elements (e.g., the element 1603, corresponding to the output connection 143) is selected, the display 1700 of
In an embodiment, the display 1700 also includes a log 1720. The log 1720 can display information such as a continuous log of events, with the last event on top. Events can include alerts, state changes, user-driven changes, device additions, and changes made by an event for each charging station, output connection, and/or channel. The log 1720, or a separate log, can include information such as charging data (charging signature) for each charge and amperage draw over time for charging stations, output connections, and/or heads. The charging data can include the length of each charging cycle (e.g., for each output connection, when charging an EV began and when it ended). The charging data can be used to identify and implement better charge and cycle durations.
With reference back to
The GUI 304 can indicate alerts in any number of different ways. For example, a GUI element (not shown) can be displayed in the display 1400, or the GUI element 1401-1405 associated with a charging station that is experiencing a possible fault condition can be changed in some way (e.g., a change in color). Similarly, the GUI element 1501-1504 associated with an output connection that is experiencing a possible fault condition can be changed in some way (e.g., a change in color). Alerts can also be audio alerts.
In block 1802, with reference also to
In block 1804, a selection of a GUI element fora charging station is received.
In block 1806, based on the information received from the network of charging stations, GUI elements that identify which output connection of the charging station is receiving a charging current are displayed.
In block 1808, in response to commands received via the GUI (that is, responsive to user interaction with the GUI), components (e.g., the charging station itself, and/or output connections and heads of the charging station) of the network are individually turned on and off.
In block 1810, information that indicates the availability of the charging station and/or the availability of output connections and/or heads is sent to another device such as a smartphone.
Embodiments according to the present invention thus include, but are not limited to, the following features: multiple physical charging stations/connections per circuit; rotating (e.g., round-robin) charging; and automatic charging of multiple vehicles without user intervention.
Because only a single circuit is used for multiple charging stations/connections, costs are reduced. In other words, it is not necessary to pay for a dedicated circuit for each charging station, for example. New charging stations can be added at a reduced cost per station; more charging stations can be installed for the same cost. Existing infrastructure (e.g., an existing circuit) can be readily modified to accommodate multiple charging stations instead of a single station.
With more charging stations, vehicle charging is more convenient. For instance, vehicles will not have to be moved as frequently. From an employee's perspective, the availability of a convenient charging station at the workplace is a perk. From an employer's perspective, the availability of a convenient charging station may encourage employees to stay at work a little longer in order to get a free charge, plus employees' productivity may increase because they do not have to move their cars as frequently.
The processor 1914 of
The system memory 1916 generally represents any type or form of volatile or non-volatile storage device or medium capable of storing data and/or other computer-readable instructions. Examples of system memory 1916 include, without limitation, RAM, ROM, flash memory, or any other suitable memory device. In an embodiment, the system memory 1916 includes a cache 1920.
The device 1910 may also include one or more components or elements in addition to the processor 1914 and the system memory 1916. For example, the device 1910 may include a memory device, an input/output (I/O) device such as a keyboard and mouse (not shown), and a communication interface 1918, each of which may be interconnected via a communication infrastructure (e.g., a bus). The device 1910 may also include a display device 1912 that is generally configured to display a GUI (e.g., the GUI displays of
The communication interface 1918 broadly represents any type or form of communication device or adapter capable of facilitating communication between the device 1910 and one or more other devices. The communication interface 1918 can include, for example, a receiver and a transmitter that can be used to receive and transmit information (wired or wirelessly), such as information from and to the charging stations in a multivehicle charging system or network and information from and to other devices such as a smartphone or another computer system.
The device 1910 can execute an application 1940 that allows it to perform operations including the operations and functions described herein (e.g., the operations of
The application 1940 can include various software modules that perform the functions that have been described herein. For example, the application can include a user management module 1941, and system management module 1942, and a GUI module 1943. The user management module 1941 can perform functions such as, but not limited to, setting up user accounts that authorize users to use the multivehicle charging network, authenticating users, metering power consumed by each user, and optionally billing users. The system management module 1942 can perform functions such as, but not limited to, monitoring the availability and functionality of network components such as circuits, channels, output connections, heads, and charging stations, controlling (e.g., turning on and off) such components, monitoring charge signatures and charging periods (to rotate charging in, for example, round-robin fashion as described herein), collecting and logging network information, and performing diagnostics. The GUI module 1943 can perform functions such as, but not limited to, generating a GUI that can be accessed by a network administrator and can also be accessed by or pushed to other devices such as smartphones.
The main AC power source 130 is connected to the channels A and B by relays or switches S1 or S2, respectively, that are individually controlled by the processor 2002. Channel A may be referred to below as the first channel or the priority channel, and channel B may be referred to below as the second channel or non-priority channel.
In an embodiment, each of the channels A and B includes a respective current sensor CT and a respective voltage sensor VS. Accordingly, the controller 2000 can detect whether an electrical load (e.g., an EV) is connected to a channel. The controller 2000 can perform other functions, in particular the same functions as the controller 106 (as described above in conjunction with the discussion of
As will be described in conjunction with
In an embodiment, the first channel A of the first controller 2000 is coupled to the first charging station. The second channel B of the first controller 2000 is coupled to the second controller 106. In an embodiment, if an electrical load is present on the first (priority) channel A, then the power to the second controller 106 is switched off until the load is removed; and if there is no load on the priority channel 1, then power to the second controller can be switched on. In an embodiment, if there is not a load on the priority channel A of the first controller 2000 or on any of the channels 1-4 of the second controller 106, then power is maintained on both the priority channel A and the second channel B of the first controller 2000 until there is a load on the priority channel. The switches or relays in the first controller 2000 can be used to turn on and off the power to the second controller 106. That is, the first switch S1 is on whenever power is received by the controller 2000 from the electric power supply 130, and the second switch S2 is toggled off when an EV charging load is present on the first channel A and is toggled on to deliver power to the second controller 106 when no EV charging load is present on the first channel A.
In the example of
In the example of
In the
In the
The implementations of
In block 2502 of
In block 2504, the first controller turns off the electrical power to the second channel in response to determining that there is an EV charging load on the first channel. Power to the first channel is kept on to deliver a charging current to the EV until, for example, the load is removed (e.g., the EV is disconnected from the first charging station), a timer expires, or the EV is charged to a specified threshold level or with a specified amount of charge.
In block 2506, the first controller turns on the electrical power to the second channel only in response to determining that no EV charging load is present on the first channel. A charging station or charging stations connected to the second channel as described above are thus operable for providing a charging current to a respective EV. If an EV charging load is introduced on the first channel while the second channel is turned on, then the second channel is turned off. Once the charging load on the first channel is no longer present, then power to the second channel can be turned on again.
In an embodiment, if the second channel is on, then turned off and turned back on, charging through the second channel resumes at the place where it left off. Using the embodiment of
While the foregoing disclosure sets forth various embodiments using specific block diagrams, flowcharts, and examples, each block diagram component, flowchart step, operation, and/or component described and/or illustrated herein may be implemented, individually and/or collectively, using a wide range of hardware, software, or firmware (or any combination thereof) configurations. In addition, any disclosure of components contained within other components should be considered as examples because many other architectures can be implemented to achieve the same functionality.
The process parameters and sequence of steps described and/or illustrated herein are given by way of example only and can be varied as desired. For example, while the steps illustrated and/or described herein may be shown or discussed in a particular order, these steps do not necessarily need to be performed in the order illustrated or discussed. The various example methods described and/or illustrated herein may also omit one or more of the steps described or illustrated herein or include additional steps in addition to those disclosed.
While various embodiments have been described and/or illustrated herein in the context of fully functional computing systems, one or more of these example embodiments may be distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, regardless of the particular type of computer-readable media used to actually carry out the distribution. The embodiments disclosed herein may also be implemented using software modules that perform certain tasks. These software modules may include script, batch, or other executable files that may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium or in a computing system. These software modules may configure a computing system to perform one or more of the example embodiments disclosed herein. One or more of the software modules disclosed herein may be implemented in a cloud computing environment. Cloud computing environments may provide various services and applications via the Internet. These cloud-based services (e.g., storage as a service, software as a service, platform as a service, infrastructure as a service, etc.) may be accessible through a Web browser or other remote interface. Various functions described herein may be provided through a remote desktop environment or any other cloud-based computing environment.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the disclosure is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the disclosure.
Embodiments according to the present invention are thus described. While the present disclosure has been described in particular embodiments, it should be appreciated that the present invention should not be construed as limited by such embodiments, but rather construed according to the following claims.
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 17/534,181, titled “AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING SYSTEM WITH PRIORITY CHARGING,” filed Nov. 23, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/795,765, titled “AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING SYSTEM WITH PRIORITY CHARGING,” filed Oct. 27, 2017, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,180,034, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/222,813, titled “An Electric Vehicle Charging System,” filed on Jul. 28, 2016, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,850,627, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/263,564, titled “Multiple Vehicle Charging Stations Per Power Circuit and Time Multiplexing Charging Method,” filed on Dec. 4, 2015, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62263564 | Dec 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17534181 | Nov 2021 | US |
| Child | 18810373 | US | |
| Parent | 15795765 | Oct 2017 | US |
| Child | 17534181 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15222813 | Jul 2016 | US |
| Child | 15795765 | US |
