Dynamic allocation of power modules for charging electric vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10744883-B2
Application number	US-201715605857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2017
Priority date	May 25, 2016
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

Dynamic allocation of power modules for charging electric vehicles is described herein. The charging system includes multiple dispensers that each include one or more power modules that can supply power to any one of the dispensers at a time. A dispenser includes a first power bus that is switchably connected to one or more local power modules and switchably connected to one or more power modules located remotely in another dispenser. The one or more local power modules are switchably connected to a second power bus in the other dispenser. The dispenser includes a control unit that is to cause the local power modules and the remote power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus to dynamically allocate the power modules between the dispenser and the other dispenser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for charging an electric vehicle, comprising:
a housing;
an output terminal to connect the electric vehicle with charging output;
a first set of one or more power modules included within the housing, wherein each of the first set of one or more power modules is capable of supplying an amount of power for charging the electric vehicle;
a first power bus that is connected to the output terminal, switchably connected to the first set of one or more power modules, and switchably connected to a second set of one or more power modules that are located remotely from the dispenser in a different dispenser, and wherein the first set of one or more power modules are switchably connected to a second power bus providing charging output for the different dispenser; and
a control unit that is coupled to the first set of one or more power modules, wherein the control unit is configured to:
cause the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus to dynamically allocate the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules between the dispenser and the different dispenser.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to cause the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus to dynamically allocate the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules between the dispenser and the different dispenser based on a set of one or more factors including one or more properties of active charging sessions on the dispenser and the different dispenser.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the one or more properties of active charging sessions are to include for each charging session, one or more of: a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser has been charging, a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser has been parked in proximity to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a time remaining on each charging session, a type of account associated with each charging session, an amount of current drawn by each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a percentage of charge complete of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a percentage of charge remaining of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a battery temperature of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a type of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, and a reservation status of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser.

4. The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the set of one or more factors further includes one or more of: a maximum rate of power that can be dispensed by each of the dispenser and the different dispenser, and load supply condition.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to transmit, to the different dispenser, status of the first set of one or more power modules.

6. The dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the status of the first set of one or more power modules specifies an amount of operating time of each of the first set of one or more power modules.

7. A method comprising:
providing charging output for a dispenser for charging an electric vehicle, the dispenser including:
a first set of one or more power modules included within a housing of the dispenser, wherein each of the first set of power modules is capable of supplying an amount of power for charging an electric vehicle through an output terminal of the dispenser,
a first power bus that is connected to the output terminal, switchably connected to the first set of one or more power modules, and switchably connected to a second set of one or more power modules that are located remotely from the dispenser in a different dispenser, and wherein the first set of one or more power modules are switchably connected to a second power bus providing charging output for the different dispenser, and
a control unit that is coupled to the first set of one or more power modules; and

dynamically allocating, using the control unit, the first set of power modules and the second set of power modules between the dispenser and the different dispenser, including causing the first set of power modules and the second set of power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the causing the first set of one or more power modules and the second set of one or more power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus is based on a set of one or more factors including one or more properties of active charging sessions on the dispenser and the different dispenser.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more properties of active charging sessions are to include for each charging session, one or more of: a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser has been charging, a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser has been parked in proximity to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a time remaining on each charging session, a type of account associated with each charging session, an amount of current drawn by each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a percentage of charge complete of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a percentage of charge remaining of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a battery temperature of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, a type of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser, and a reservation status of each electric vehicle connected to the dispenser and the different dispenser.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the set of factors further includes one or more of: a maximum rate of power that can be dispensed by each of the dispenser and the different dispenser, and load supply condition.

11. The method of claim 7 , the dynamically allocating further comprising:
transmitting, to the different dispenser, status of the first set of one or more power modules.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the status of the first set of one or more power modules specifies an amount of operating time of each of the first set of power modules.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform operations comprising:
providing charging output for a dispenser for charging an electric vehicle, the dispenser including:
a first set of one or more power modules included within a housing of the dispenser, wherein each of the first set of power modules is capable of supplying an amount of power for charging an electric vehicle through an output terminal of the dispenser,
a first power bus that is connected to the output terminal, switchably connected to the first set of one or more power modules, and switchably connected to a second set of one or more power modules that are located remotely from the dispenser in a different dispenser, and wherein the first set of one or more power modules are switchably connected to a second pow

Assignees

• Chargepoint Inc

Inventors

• Quattrini Jr Richard J
• Vaughan Peter
• Baxter David
• Hagenmaier Jr Carl F
• Tran Patrick Kien
• Matsuno Craig T
• Eldridge Gary A
• Romano Pasquale

Classifications

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• Y02T90/167

  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 title

• B60L53/65

  involving identification of vehicles or their battery types · CPC title

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title