Lighting concept for a charging park

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10940770-B2
Application number	US-201916454440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jun 29, 2018
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

A method for operating a charging system for charging electric vehicles, wherein the charging system has a charging station and at least two charging columns which are physically separate from one another and each have at least one charging connection. Each charging column has a light sensor and also a light and/or a display. The method includes receiving signals of the individual light sensors and also collectively evaluating the signals and adjusting the brightness of the light and/or the display of at least one of the charging columns depending on a result of collectively evaluating the received signals. Also described herein is a corresponding charging system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a charging system for charging electric vehicles, wherein the charging system has a charging station and at least two charging columns which are physically separate from one another and each have at least one charging connection, wherein each charging column has a light sensor and also (i) a lighting means and/or (ii) a display means, wherein the method comprises:
receiving signals from the light sensors, wherein each received signal indicates a brightness value which is ascertained by the corresponding light sensor;
collectively evaluating the received signals; and
adjusting the brightness of the lighting means and/or of the display means of at least one of the charging columns depending on a result of collectively evaluating the received signals.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein collectively evaluating the received signals comprises comparing the received signals with one another.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
establishing an incorrectly functioning light sensor on the basis of the result of collectively evaluating the received signals.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a servicing request to a service center in an event that the presence of an incorrectly functioning light sensor is established.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein collectively evaluating the received signals comprises ascertaining a mean value of the received signals.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising establishing an incorrectly functioning light sensor on the basis of the result of collectively evaluating the received signals, wherein establishing an incorrectly functioning light sensor is performed when the mean value of the received signals lies below a predetermined threshold value.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
using the ascertained mean value as a signal which is transmitted by the incorrectly functioning sensor.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising establishing an incorrectly functioning light sensor on the basis of the result of collectively evaluating the received signals, wherein collectively evaluating the received signals comprises ascertaining a deviation in the signal of a determined light sensor from a mean value of the other received signals.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:
ascertaining a temperature of each charging connection cable of the charging columns; and
comparing ascertained temperatures of the charging connection cables with ascertained brightness values of the charging columns.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
controlling a cooling circuit of the charging station depending on a result of the comparison of the ascertained temperatures of the charging connection cables with the ascertained brightness values of the charging columns.

11. A charging system for charging electric vehicles, the charging system comprising:
at least two charging columns which are physically separate from one another and each having at least one charging connection, wherein each charging column has a light sensor, and also (i) a lighting means and/or (ii) a display means, and
a charging station having a control unit which is coupled to the light sensors of the charging columns,
wherein the control unit is configured to:
(i) receive signals from the light sensors, wherein each received signal indicates a brightness value which is ascertained by the corresponding light sensor;
(ii) collectively evaluate the received signals; and
(iii) adjust the brightness of the lighting means and/or of the display means of the charging columns depending on a result of collectively evaluating the received signals.

Assignees

• Porsche Ag

Inventors

• Zander Steve
• Kaul Timo
• Heyne Raoul

Classifications

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60Y2300/91

  Battery charging · CPC title

• B60L53/14

  Conductive energy transfer · CPC title

• B60Y2200/91

  Electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title