CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME

20130127417

13/713876

December 13, 2012

Some embodiments include a control system for electric vehicle charging stations and method of using the same as disclosed herein. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation, d/b/a ECOtality North America (Phoenix, AZ, US)

1) A system for charging a rechargeable energy storage system of an electric vehicle, the system comprising: an electric vehicle charging station configured to make available electricity to charge the rechargeable energy storage system of the electric vehicle; a user interface configured to receive a charging mode and a charging characteristic and to communicate with the electric vehicle charging station in order to operate the electric vehicle charging station; a data acquisition module configured to communicate with the user interface and to receive charging parameter data; and a control module configured (a) to communicate with the user interface and the data acquisition module, (b) to receive the charging mode, the charging characteristic, and the charging parameter data, (c) to monitor in real time the charging parameter data, and (d) based on the charging parameter data, to control when the electric vehicle charging station makes available the electricity to charge the rechargeable energy storage system in order to achieve the charging mode in view of the charging characteristic; wherein: the charging mode comprises a day and time by which to complete charging the rechargeable energy storage system; the charging characteristic comprises at least one of a request to provide a fastest charge, a request to provide a cheapest charge, or a request to provide an environmentally cleanest charge; and the charging parameter data comprises at least one of energy and demand data for one or more electric grids configured to provide the electricity to the electric vehicle charging station, alternative energy resource data, or availability of the electric vehicle charging station data.

2) The system of claim 1 wherein: the user interface is configured to receive the charging mode and the charging characteristic from at least one of a user of the electric vehicle charging station or a user profile of the user.

3) The system of claim 2 wherein: the user interface is configured to communicate with a computer system comprising a computer database, the computer database comprising the user profile.

4) The system of claim 3 further comprising: the computer system.

5) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of: the user interface comprises one of a personal computer, a mobile device, or a terminal, the electric vehicle charging station comprising the terminal; at least one of the electric vehicle charging station or the user interface comprises the control module; or at least one of the electric vehicle charging station or the user interface comprises the data acquisition module.

6) The system of claim 1 wherein: the data acquisition module is configured to receive the charging parameter data in real time via communication with a computer system comprising at least one computer database, the at least one computer database comprising the charging parameter data, and the computer system being located remotely from the electric vehicle charging station.

7) The system of claim 6 wherein: the computer system is operated by at least one utility company.

8) The system of claim 6 further comprising: the computer system.

9) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a prediction module configured (a) to communicate with the user interface and the data acquisition module, (b) to receive the charging mode, the charging characteristic, and the charging parameter data, and (c) based on the charging parameter data, to calculate a prediction as to a cost to charge the rechargeable energy storage system by the day and time of the charging mode.

10) The system of claim 1 wherein: the charging parameter data further comprises at least one of: supplementary load data; or electric vehicle range history data of the electric vehicle.

11) The system of claim 1 wherein: the charging characteristic comprises two or more ranked ones of the at least one of the request to provide the fastest charge, the request to provide the cheapest charge, or the request to provide the environmentally cleanest charge.

12) The system of claim 1 wherein: the user interface is configured to automatically receive the charging mode and the charging characteristic when the user interface authenticates the user of the electric vehicle charging station.

13) A system for charging a rechargeable energy storage system of an electric vehicle, the system comprising: an input module configured to receive a charging mode and a charging characteristic and to communicate with an electric vehicle charging station in order to operate the electric vehicle charging station, the electric vehicle charging station being configured to make available electricity to charge the rechargeable energy storage system of the electric vehicle; a data acquisition module configured to communicate with the input module and to receive charging parameter data; and a control module configured (a) to communicate with the input module and the data acquisition module, (b) to receive the charging mode, the charging characteristic, and the charging parameter data, (c) to monitor in real time the charging parameter data, and (d) based on the charging parameter data, to control when the electric vehicle charging station makes available the electricity to charge the rechargeable energy storage system in order to achieve the charging mode in view of the charging characteristic; wherein: the charging mode comprises a day and time by which to complete charging the rechargeable energy storage system; the charging characteristic comprises at least one of a request to provide a fastest charge, a request to provide a cheapest charge, or a request to provide an environmentally cleanest charge; and the charging parameter data comprises at least one of energy and demand data for one or more electric grids configured to provide the electricity to the electric vehicle charging station, alternative energy resource data, or availability of the electric vehicle charging station data; the input module is configured to receive the charging mode and the charging characteristic from at least one of a user of the electric vehicle charging station or a user profile of the user; at least one of the electric vehicle charging station or the input module comprises the control module; at least one of the electric vehicle charging station or the input module comprises the data acquisition module; and the data acquisition module is configured to receive the charging parameter data in real time via communication with a computer system comprising at least one computer database, the at least one computer database comprising the charging parameter data, and the computer system being located remotely from the electric vehicle charging station.

14) A method of making electricity available to charge a rechargeable energy storage system of an electric vehicle by using an electric vehicle charging station, at least part of the method being implemented via execution of computer instructions configured to run at one or more computer processing modules and configured to be stored in one or more non-transitory computer memory storage modules, the method comprising: receiving a charging mode and a charging characteristic, wherein: the charging mode comprises a day and time by which to complete charging the rechargeable energy storage system; and the charging characteristic comprises at least one of a request to provide a fastest charge, a request to provide a cheapest charge, and a request to provide an environmentally cleanest charge; receiving charging parameter data in real time, the charging parameter data comprising at least one of energy and demand data for one or more electric grids configured to provide the electricity to the electric vehicle charging station, alternative energy resource data, and availability of the electric vehicle charging station data; monitoring in real time the charging parameter data; and based on the charging parameter data, controlling when the electric vehicle charging station makes available the electricity from the electric vehicle charging station to charge the rechargeable energy storage system in order to achieve the charging mode in view of the charging characteristic.

15) The method of claim 14 wherein: receiving the charging mode and the charging characteristic comprises receiving the charging mode and the charging characteristic from at least one of a user of the electric vehicle charging station or a user profile of the user.

16) The method of claim 14 wherein: receiving the charging mode and the charging characteristic comprises communicating with a computer system comprising a computer database, the computer database comprising a user profile comprising at least one of the charging mode or the charging characteristic.

17) The method of claim 14 wherein: receiving the charging parameter data in real time comprises communicating with a computer system comprising at least one computer database, the at least one computer database comprising the charging parameter data, and the computer system being located remotely from the electric vehicle charging station.

18) The method of claim 14 further comprising: based on the charging parameter data, calculating a prediction as to a cost to charge the rechargeable energy storage system by the day and time of the charging mode.

19) The method of claim 14 wherein: the charging parameter data further comprises at least one of: supplementary load data; or electric vehicle range history data of the electric vehicle.

20) The method of claim 14 wherein: receiving the charging characteristic comprises receiving a ranked order of two or more of the at least one of the request to provide the fastest charge, the request to provide the cheapest charge, and the request to provide the environmentally cleanest charge.

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