EP3970323A1

EP3970323A1 - Charging station for charging electric vehicles

Info

Publication number: EP3970323A1
Application number: EP20720412.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ingo Kledewski
Original assignee: Innogy eMobility Solutions GmbH
Current assignee: CCT Abwicklungs GmbH
Priority date: 2019-05-16
Filing date: 2020-04-17
Publication date: 2022-03-23
Also published as: WO2020229088A1; DE102019112841A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a charging station (100, 200) for charging electric vehicles (108, 208), comprising at least one first data interface (114, 214), designed to communicate with a control unit (242) of a home automation system (230), and at least one second data interface (120, 220) that can be connected to the first data interface (114, 214) and is designed to communicate with at least one building-side electric load (240.1, 240.2) according to at least one home automation protocol.

Description

Charging station for charging electric vehicles

The application relates to a charging station for charging electric vehicles. The application also relates to a home automation system and a method for operating a home automation system.

Home automation systems are known from the prior art. As a rule, a home automation system comprises a (central) control unit and a plurality of controllable electrical loads. For example, the control unit can be connected via a (wireless and / or wired)

Communication network control an electrical load and activate and / or deactivate it, for example.

A home automation system is common in a building and in the

Arranged around the building. A communication module can generate a transmission field in order to communicate with a consumer located within the transmission field. The problem with the prior art is that electrical consumers are outside the range of the wireless

Communication network or the transmission field can be located. Examples of consumers that are regularly too far away from the control unit are exterior lighting in buildings (e.g. residential or office buildings, garages, etc.) or garden sprinklers. Such consumers are in the

present application also referred to as building-side electrical consumers. In particular, it can be stationary consumers.

In order to also use such consumers through the control unit of the

To control home automation system, it is common in the prior art to install additional network routers or the like to the Increase reach. The disadvantage of this is the installation effort required and the associated costs.

In addition to a wireless communication network, a wired communication network can alternatively or additionally be used in a home automation system

Communication network be implemented. Even with a wired communication network, the connection of the remotely arranged

Consumers can be very expensive. If a user would like to connect such electrical consumers to a home automation system (also called a smart home system), setting up wired data communication between the control unit and the at least one electrical consumer in the building can be complex and time-consuming. The spatial distance between the at least one building-side electrical consumer and the control unit, which is usually arranged in the building, can be too far for a too long

Data communication cable would have to be used.

The application is therefore based on the object of creating a possibility with which, in a simple and, in particular, low-effort manner, electrical components on the building side which are arranged remotely from the control unit can be controlled

Is made possible for consumers.

According to a first aspect of the application, this object is achieved by a charging station for charging electric vehicles according to claim 1. The charging station comprises at least one first data interface, set up to communicate with a control unit of a home automation system. The charging station comprises at least one second that can be connected to the first data interface

Data interface set up to communicate with at least one

Building-side electrical consumers according to at least one

Home automation protocol. In that, in contrast to the prior art, a charging station is provided according to the application, which has a first data interface and a second

Comprises data interface, wherein the first data interface is set up for communication with a remote control unit of a home automation system and the second data interface is set up for communication with electrical consumers on the building side according to a home automation protocol, are easily removed from the control unit

arranged electrical loads integrated into the home automation system. The laying of additional cables or the like can be avoided.

The arrangement of additional routers or the like is also not necessary. In particular, a charging station that is already provided can be used to integrate building-side electrical consumers into the home automation system.

A charging station according to the application can comprise at least one charging point, set up to deliver electrical power (or energy or current).

The charging point can preferably also be set up to receive electrical power. The charging point can in particular be an electrical interface, for example in the form of a firmly attached charging cable with a

Charging connection (e.g. charging plug) and / or a charging connection for connecting a charging cable (e.g. a charging plug receptacle, for example in the form of a charging plug socket). A firmly attached charging cable is to be understood in particular to mean that a user cannot remove the charging cable from the

Can disconnect the charger.

The charging station can comprise a charging device that can have components in a conventional manner to enable a current flow from a power source (eg a public distribution network, an energy generator, etc.) via the charging point and a charging cable to a battery of an electric vehicle. In this way, an electrically operated vehicle or its electrical energy store (in particular the traction battery) can be charged (or discharged). Under a In the present case, electric vehicle is to be understood as a vehicle which can be operated at least partially electrically and which comprises a rechargeable electrical storage device.

The charging device can be integrated in the charging station or formed as a "wallbox". The entire charging station can also be formed as a wallbox or charging column. In particular, the charging device can be part of the charging station. The charging device, in particular the components or the charging technology, can also be be integrated in a wall or a floor.It goes without saying that a bidirectional current or power transmission via the charging cable and the charging technology of the

Loading device can be done.

The charging station further comprises at least a first (wireless or

wired) data interface. The first data interface is for

Established communication with a remote control unit from the charging station. This means in particular that data records can be exchanged between the charging station and the control unit via a communication network.

In other words, the charging station using the first

Data interface to be connected to the home automation system.

In addition, the charging station comprises at least one second data interface, at least in normal operation. The at least one second (wireless or wired) data interface is set up for communication with at least one remotely located electrical consumer in the building

Home automation protocol. This means in particular that a data record, in particular in the form of one or more data packets, is sent out in accordance with the specifications of the home automation protocol and / or a data record, in particular in the form of one or more data packets, is then received and in particular further processed by the second data interface can be if this is formed according to the home automation protocol.

This means that the charging station is operated as intended

in particular to understand that the charging station is used as a coupling unit between the control unit and the at least one remote electrical consumer on the building side. The charging station can represent an "access point" for such a consumer.

A building-side or domestic electrical consumer is to be understood as a consumer that is fixed to the building and in particular to the

Is assigned to the home automation system. In particular, it can be

stationary consumers act. A consumer on the building side is not to be understood in particular as an electric vehicle. In other words, it can be a building-side electrical consumer in the present

Registration to act as an electrical consumer that is in

Intended operation is firmly integrated in the home automation system (via the charging station).

As already described, the charging station according to the application is used in the home automation system as a coupler or mediator between the control unit and at least one electrical consumer in the building. In order to achieve this, the first data interface is communicatively connected to the at least one second data interface, at least when the charging station is operating as intended. In other words, the first data interface is with the at least one second data interface via an internal one

Communication link at least connectable.

Electrical consumers can easily be connected to the

Home automation system, even if it is outside the range of the (third) communication network of the Home automation system. In particular, the charging station, using the second data interface, can generate at least one second communication network to which the consumers located outside the (third) communication network can be connected.

It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, “third” etc. do not define a mandatory or preferred order, but merely serve as a designation for certain components (e.g. communication networks) have to, for example, from a third party

Communication network is the question, not necessarily two more

Communication networks exist, but also less.

As already described, the first data interface can be a wireless or a wired data interface. Exemplary and non-final data interfaces are WLAN interfaces, LAN interfaces, powerline

Communication (PLC) interfaces, Bluetooth interfaces and the like.

According to a first preferred embodiment of the application according to the application

The at least one first data interface can be a charging station

Be cellular data interface. The cellular data interface can

be formed for example as a GSM interface, UMTS interface, LTE interface, 5G interface, etc. It has been recognized that a charging station due to an electrical connection to a power source, such as a

Distribution network, has a sufficiently high power supply to provide a first data interface with a (relatively) long range (> 10 m). The particular advantage of a cellular radio data interface lies in the fact that in a cellular radio network (as the first communication network) the radio coverage is generally extensive. In addition, several SIM cards can now be used inexpensively. Furthermore, cellular networks nowadays have high data rates, which in turn can be used cost-effectively. In addition, it has been recognized that the data volumes to be transmitted from the first data interface for forwarding via the second data interface to the at least one building-side consumer are small. In particular, the electrical loads connected to the second data interface can be designed in such a way that the scope of the necessary data or data records

(especially the amount of data) can be manageable.

For example, if an electrical consumer is designed as a lighting device, this electrical consumer is usually only used temporarily. In addition, a consumer on the building side can be such a consumer in which there may be a certain tolerance with regard to the reaction time to a command sent by the control unit. In particular, the at least one connected electrical consumer can generally not be a consumer for which a command must be executed within a relatively short reaction time (<1 s). For example, whether a lighting device in the garden is switched on or off in one or only 3 seconds is (usually) not decisive. Furthermore, it can regularly be acceptable if an electrical consumer designed as a water pump is not activated immediately after a user wishes to operate or a corresponding command input. Activation after e.g.

10 seconds is acceptable for such an electrical consumer. Accordingly, the first data interface can preferably be a

Cellular data interface can be used. It goes without saying that in a preferred variant of a charging station according to the application, two or more different first data interfaces can be provided.

As already described, the first data interface is set up in particular to be able to communicate with a remote control unit

Home automation system. In other words, can data sets are exchanged between the control unit and the first data interface or the charging station. For example, a data record can contain at least one command from the control unit of the home automation system. The charging station can in particular also be controlled by the control unit. The charging station can also transmit status information from the charging station to the control unit via the first data interface. Exemplary status information is information about at least one charging process, information about repairing the charging station and / or the surroundings of the charging station, information about a counter reading of the charging station, etc. electrical

Transferred to the consumer.

According to a further embodiment of the charging station according to the application, the at least one home automation protocol can be selected from the group comprising:

KNX, in particular according to EN 50090 and / or ISO / IEC 14543 standard, Homematic [from eQ3),

DECT Ultra Low Energy (ULE),

EnOcean,

ZigBee,

Bluetooth Low Energy (LE),

Z-Wave,

EEBUS, and

HomeKit (from Apple).

In particular, the second data interface can be set up to carry out a communication according to at least two different ones

Home automation protocols. In other words, a single second data interface can have a data record according to a first

Home automation protocol or according to a second Home Automation Protocol (and / or at least one more

Protocol), in particular depending on the electrical consumer in the building. This means in particular that the second data interface is the

Home automation protocol selects which the building-side electrical consumer understands.

The charging station can communicate via the at least one second data interface with at least one electrical consumer, which can be located at a spatial distance from the charging station. This advantageously makes it possible for the at least one electrical consumer not to have any direct

Communication link to the control unit of the home automation system must have. The at least one second data interface can be, for example, a physical data interface which e.g. comprises an antenna with an antenna front end, which preferably has a plurality of

Home automation protocols supported. For example, the IEEE 802.15.4 standard can be supported by EnOcean and the Zigbee home automation protocol. In other words, a physical data interface can be provided which is compatible with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and an EnOcean or Zigbee home automation protocol.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the charging station according to the application, an adapter module can have the second data interface. The adapter module can be releasably coupled to a third data interface of the charging station, such that a connection between the first

Data interface and the second data interface (via the third

Data interface) can be produced. For example, the third data interface can be permanently integrated in the charging station. The adapter module, comprising the second data interface, can be (mechanically) releasably coupled to this third data interface (for example via a fourth data interface). Detachable means that the adapter module can be coupled to the third data interface (electrical and mechanical) in a non-destructive manner and, in particular, without tools. The second data interface can advantageously be designed as an adapter module or integrated in an adapter module. The adapter module can in particular be an attachable electronic component. The adapter module can, for example, have a fourth data interface, preferably a USB plug.

This makes it possible for the charging station to be able to be retrofitted in a simple manner with the aid of various further second data interfaces designed as attachable adapter modules. The plug-in adapter module, in particular the fourth data interface, can for example be plugged into the housing of the charging station, in particular a third data interface, for example a USB receptacle or socket. For example, it is also possible that the attachable adapter module can be coupled inside the housing of the charging station.

According to a further embodiment, the charging station can in particular be formed as a master, in particular within a network comprising the charging station and at least one electrical consumer on the building side.

In this way, a data record (e.g. one or more data packets) can be transmitted to the at least one consumer in a simple manner.

In particular, this allows at least one command to be transmitted from the control unit via the charging station to at least one electrical consumer connected to the charging station.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the charging station according to the application, the charging station can have at least one between the first

Data interface and the second data interface arranged

Have application interface. The application interface can be set up to forward a data received from the first data interface

Data record to the second data interface. Alternatively or preferably in addition, the application interface can be set up to forward a data record received from the second data interface to the first data interface. In other words, an application interface can be provided in order to evaluate a data record received via the first data interface or the second data interface and, depending on the evaluation, forward it and, in particular, cause the forwarded data record to be sent through the corresponding data interface.

In the present case, forwarding is to be understood in particular to mean that at least the user data content of a data record (e.g. a command, status information, etc.) is forwarded from one data interface to the other data interface.

For example, if the same home automation protocol is used for the

Communication between the first data interface and the control unit of the home automation system is used, a forwarding of a

Data record include the forwarding of (almost) the entire data record (including header, data structure and in particular without a protocol conversion). Possibly. a new destination address can be added through the application interface for forwarding (as will be explained in more detail below).

According to a further embodiment of the charging station according to the application, the first data interface can be set up to communicate with the

Control unit of the home automation system according to a first data protocol. The application interface can be set up to protocol conversion of a received data record if the first data protocol differs from the at least one home automation protocol that is used by the second data interface. In particular, when a

Protocol deviation, for example due to the application interface, between the data protocol used for communication between the control unit and the first data interface (e.g. also a home automation protocol or another protocol) and the home automation protocol used for communication between the at least one electrical consumer in the building and the second data interface , a corresponding Protocol implementation. In particular, a protocol implementation can include a change in the syntax and / or the semantics of a data record.

It is understood that the use of different protocols (e.g.

Protocol A from the first data interface and protocol B from the second data interface) can be permanently specified, so that a previously described detection of a protocol deviation can be dispensed with in other variants.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the charging station according to the application, the application interface can be set up to access an assignment table stored in a data memory of the charging station. The assignment table can contain at least one piece of consumer information for the at least one electrical consumer in the building and / or at least one

Include control unit information of the at least one control unit. The

The application interface can be set up to forward a data record based on the stored assignment table. In the assignment table, for example, the respective

Communication addresses of the consumers together with the respective unique consumer identifier and / or the one to be used

Home automation logs. The communication address of the control unit and / or the (first) data protocol to be used can be stored as control unit information.

As already described, the charging station can advantageously have at least one application interface, which e.g. Receives data from the at least one first data interface and forwards it in a targeted manner to the at least one second data interface. It may also be possible that the

Application interface receives data from the at least one second data interface and forwards it to the at least one first data interface. The application interface can be formed, for example, as a gateway which has implemented at least one ISO layer above the third ISO layer. This advantageously makes it possible for the charging station to receive via the first data interface, for example, a data record containing at least one command from the control unit, the containing command for at least one

Building-side electrical loads processed (in other words, a protocol conversion is carried out) and then the processed command or a processed data record containing the command via the second

Data interface transmitted or forwards to the at least one building-side electrical consumer. In a corresponding manner, a data record can be forwarded to the control unit from an electrical consumer in the building.

It is also possible that the control unit already transmits a command to an electrical consumer in a data record with a format or protocol corresponding to the home automation protocol used by the second data interface. In this case, processing or protocol implementation of the command by the application interface can (almost) be omitted. In this case, for example, the control unit can send a command for a building-side electrical consumer in a data record which, in terms of protocol, is from the first

Data interface is receivable, embed so the command for a

Building-side electrical consumers can be taken from the data packet by the application interface and can be forwarded unchanged to the specific building-side electrical consumers.

The application interface preferably has or can access an assignment table which can be stored in a data memory (in particular a physical memory) of the charging station, the

Assignment table can have entries about the electrical consumers connected to the charging station and / or about the control unit. The entries (or consumer or control unit information) in the assignment table can include, for example, a device type, a device status, a physical address (or communication address) and / or a device description of the at least one building-side electrical consumer. The device type can, for example, contain at least one piece of information about what kind of electrical consumer in the building it is. A device type can, for example, be lighting or an actuator, such as a garage door opener. A device status can for example contain at least one piece of information about the status of the building-side electrical consumer (eg activated or not activated). The state of an electrical consumer on the building side can for example be transmitted from the electrical consumer to the charging station via the second data interface.

The physical address or communication address of an electrical consumer in the building can contain information about the address via which the electrical consumer can be addressed or controlled. The physical address of an electrical consumer in the building can in particular be one-to-one (in a home automation system). The physical address of an electrical load on the building side can be, for example, a media access control (MAC) address. The physical address can be used, for example, to determine which

Home automation protocol must be used to address the respective electrical consumer. Alternatively, it is possible that the

Allocation table can contain at least one entry about which home automation protocol (s) the building-side electrical consumer supports (as described above).

The device description of an electrical consumer in the building can contain information about which electrical consumer is involved, for example. The device description can contain information that can be used by a user, for example. For example, the

Device description local information (e.g. installation site) of the

building-side electrical consumer included. A device description for electrical lighting that is located in a garden can be, for example, “garden light 1” or “garden light, front left”. The

The device description does not necessarily have to be one-to-one, provided the physical address of the electrical consumer in the building is one-to-one. The

Device description can, for example, be editable by a user.

With the help of the allocation table, it is particularly possible that the

Control unit received data can be transmitted to a certain building-side electrical consumer in a reliable manner. In a corresponding manner, data can also be transmitted from an electrical consumer in the building to the control unit. For example, if the control unit transmits a command to a first electrical consumer and this first electrical consumer is connected to the charging station in terms of data technology, the control unit can send the command to the charging station. The charging station can evaluate the received data or a received data set so that the [actual] address of the command can be determined.

Within the application interface, using the

Allocation table in particular the physical address of the first

building-side electrical consumer, therefore the actual address, can be determined. With the aid of the assignment table, in particular the entry for the physical address of the electrical consumer in the building, it can also be determined which second data interface the first electrical consumer is connected to (if a plurality of second data interfaces are provided). Optionally, the command contained can be implemented in a home automation protocol supported by the second data interface (and in particular the consumer) in the application interface, as has been stated. The charging station then transmits the command via the at least one second data interface to the first electrical consumer in the building. According to a further embodiment, the charging station can have at least one user interface. The user interface is set up to enable a display of data / information about the at least one building-side electrical consumer and / or the charging station. Here, the user interface itself can be designed as a display module of the charging station or be set up to transmit the data mentioned to a user terminal (eg tablet computer, smartphone, etc.), for example for display by a

Display module of the user terminal.

The user interface can be designed to display information about the at least one building-side electrical consumer, the charging station and / or the assignment table of the application interface. The user interface can be designed in the form of a display module, for example a display, on the charging station. Alternatively or additionally, it may be possible for a display module to be formed at a location remote from the charging station. The display module can, for example, be a web interface that can be called up by a remote user via the user interface (e.g. the first data interface or the second data interface). The

User interface can for example be visualized on a home computer or on a smartphone. Using the user interface, you can

for example, inputs can also be made. For example, it is possible to change the entries in the assignment table. In particular, the device description of an electrical consumer can be edited so that a user

understandable information can be assigned.

The control unit of the home automation system can preferably be a (small) computing unit within a building / house. It is also possible that the control unit is (at least partially) located in a smartphone.

For example, this makes it possible for a user to establish a connection with the charging station via a smartphone app and then to connect to the charging station

can switch on or off electrical consumers in the building. Another aspect of the application is a home automation system. The home automation system comprises at least one control unit. The

Home automation system comprises at least one charging station that can be communicatively connected to the control unit, as has been described above.

In particular, the control unit can be communicatively connected to the charging station using the first data interface described above and, in particular, is connected during normal operation. According to a preferred embodiment of the application according to the application

Home automation system, the home automation system can include at least one building-side electrical consumer that can be communicatively connected to the charging station. As would already be described, the connection can be established using the second data interface described above. The at least one building-side electrical consumer can be selected from the group / comprising:

a garage lighting,

a parking space lighting,

a garden lighting,

a motion detector,

a fountain system

a pond system,

a garden sprinkler,

a garage door opener, and

a garden gate opener.

Preferably, two or more of the loads mentioned can be connected via the at least one second data interface and in particular can be controlled. Yet another aspect of the application is a method for operating a home automation system, in particular one described above

Home automation system. The procedure includes:

Receiving a data record, through a first data interface of a charging station, from a control unit of the home automation system, and forwarding the data record, through a second data interface of the charging station, according to a home automation protocol to at least one electrical consumer in the building,

and or

Receiving a data record, through a second data interface of a charging station, according to a home automation protocol from at least one electrical consumer in the building, and

Forwarding of the data record through a first data interface of the

Charging station, to a control unit of the home automation system.

To carry out the method, the charging station and / or the control unit can comprise suitable software and / or hardware. It should be noted in particular that interfaces, elements, modules, etc. according to the application

Hardware components (e.g. processors, interfaces, storage means etc.) and / or software components (e.g. code that can be executed by a processor) can be formed.

The characteristics of the processes, charging stations and home automation systems can be freely combined with one another. In particular, features of the description and / or the dependent claims can be independently inventive on their own or freely combined with one another, even with complete or partial circumvention of features of the independent claims.

There are now a number of possibilities, the method according to the application, the charging station according to the application and the

Design and further develop home automation systems. To this end on the one hand reference is made to the claims subordinate to the independent claims, and on the other hand to the description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the drawing. In the drawing shows:

1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a charging station according to the present application,

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a

Home automation system according to the present application, and

3 shows a diagram of a further exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present application.

The same elements are denoted below with the same reference symbols.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a

Charging station 100 according to the present application. The charging station 100 (for example a charging column) is electrically connected to a power source 112, in the present case an electrical distribution network 112.

The charging station 100 comprises at least one charging point 104. The charging point 104 can in particular be formed by a charging connection which is set up to charge (or discharge) an electric vehicle 108 via a charging cable 106. The charging station 100 comprises a housing 102, in which a charging device 110 (for example the charging technology that is coupled to the charging connection 104) can be integrated.

The charging station 100 further comprises at least one first data interface 114. The at least one first data interface 114 is set up to communicate with a control unit (not shown) of a home automation system, in the present case via a first wireless communication network 116, for example a

Cellular network 116.

As can also be seen, the charging station 100 has at least one second

Data interface 120. The at least one second data interface 120 is set up to communicate with at least one (not shown)

Building-side electrical consumers according to at least one

Home automation protocol, here via a second wireless one

Communication network 118.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the two data interfaces 114,

120 interconnected by communication technology. This makes it possible to exchange a data record between the control unit and the at least one building-side electrical consumer using the charging station as a coupling unit. This means in particular that the control unit sends a data record containing, for example, a control command to a building-side

can transmit electrical loads by initially transmitting this data record to the first data interface 114 via the first communication network 116. The transmitted record is then used by the first

Data interface 114 forwarded to the second data interface 120. The second data interface 120 then transmits the forwarded data record via the second communication network 118 to the consumer in the building. The transmission takes place in accordance with a home automation protocol. This is explained in more detail below.

The at least one first data interface 114 is preferably one

Cellular radio data interface 114 and the first communication network 116 is preferably a cellular radio network 114. It is understood that other data interfaces or other communication networks can also be used in other variants of the registration. The at least one second data interface 120 can be a wireless interface which supports at least one home automation protocol (for example EN 50090 and / or ISO / IEC 14543). A data interface 114, 120 can basically have an antenna and an antenna controller or the like.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a

Home automation system 230 in accordance with the present application. The

Home automation system 230 comprises a further exemplary embodiment of a charging station 200 according to the present application. To avoid

Repetitions, essentially only the differences between the charging station 200 and the charging station 100 are described below and otherwise reference is made to the explanations relating to FIG. In particular, a charging point 204 is provided, which is set up to charge an electric vehicle 208 via a charging cable 206.

Communication between the charging station 200 and building-side electrical consumers 240.1, 240.2 is possible via the second communication network 218 (cf. also statements relating to FIG. 1).

As can be seen, a (central) control unit 242 of the

Home automation system 230 in a building 250, in particular a residential and / or office building 250, installed. With the control unit 242, electrical consumers (a consumer 238 is shown as an example) can be controlled, in particular at least activated and deactivated. To this end, it is necessary that the loads 238 are within range of the control unit 242, in particular the communication module 244 of the control unit 242, that is to say within the third communication network 248. The range is indicated schematically with the dashed line, which is intended to illustrate the maximum range of the third communication network 248.

In the present example, however, there is at least one building-side electrical consumer 240.1, 240.2 (in the present example two

Lighting devices 240.1, 240.2 outside the third Communication network 248. In particular, these are arranged in or on a parking arrangement (for example garage 252) for a vehicle 208. In order to also use the control unit 242 of the

To be able to control home automation system 230, it is proposed according to the application to use the charging station 200 which is arranged in the garage 252 anyway. In the present case, the charging station 200 is designed as a wallbox.

As already described, the charging station 200 has at least one first data interface 214 for this purpose, which can correspond to a further data interface 246 of the control unit 242. It goes without saying that, in the case of variants of the application, an intermediate instance (e.g. a jaw system or the like) can be interposed in the first communication network 216. As already described, the first communication network 216 can preferably be a cellular network.

The second data interface 220 is integrated in the present case in a plug-in adapter module 258. The adapter module 258 has a fourth data interface 256 (for example USB module) which is mechanically and electrically connected to a third

Data interface 254 (for example another USB module) corresponds.

For example, a USB adapter 258 having the previously described second data interface 220 can be plugged into a corresponding USB receptacle 254 of the charging station 200, which can also be arranged within the housing of the charging station. In a simple manner, a charging station 200 can be connected to a second

Data interface 220 are expanded according to a

Home automation protocol is working.

Furthermore, an application interface 232 and a data memory 234 with an assignment table 236 stored therein are integrated in the charging station 200. The application interface 232 can access the allocation table 236 and, depending on the stored entries, receive one

Forward data record (e.g. one or more data packets). For example, a data record with a control command (for example an activation command) for a specific consumer 240.1 can be received by the control unit 242 through the first data interface 214. In addition to the useful data, that is to say in the present case the activation command, the data record can contain, for example, a (unique) consumer identifier from the consumer 240.1 to be controlled.

The application interface 232 can determine the entries in the allocation table 236 which are allocated to this consumer identifier (for example

Communication address (e.g. MAC address) and / or the one to be used

Home automation protocol]. Based on this consumer information, the application interface 232 can then transmit the

Activation command to the consumer to be controlled 240.1 are effected. If necessary, the protocol can be implemented by the

Application interface 232 can be performed. In a corresponding manner, communication from a consumer 240.1, 240.2 to the control unit 242 can be carried out.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, at least the

Application interface be integrated in the adapter module. In this case, an optional assignment table can be stored in a data memory of the charging station that is provided anyway. Furthermore, a mobile radio data interface which is already provided in the charging station can be used as the first data interface. An existing charging station can be used as a coupling unit in a home automation system in a simple and inexpensive manner using the adapter module.

FIG. 3 shows a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present application. The method can in particular be used to operate a home automation system according to FIG. In a first step 301, a data record can be received by a control unit of a home automation system described above through a first data interface of a previously described charging station.

In a step 302, the data record can (in the manner described above) through a second data interface of the charging station, according to a

Home automation protocol to be forwarded to at least one building-side electrical consumer.

Alternatively or additionally, a data record can be received in step 301 through a second data interface of a previously described charging station, the data record being transmitted in accordance with a home automation protocol from at least one building-side electrical consumer.

In a step 302, the data record can be forwarded to a control unit of the home automation system through a first data interface of the charging station.

Claims

P a t e n t a n s p r ü c h e

A charging station (100, 200) for charging electric vehicles (108, 208), comprising: at least one first data interface (114, 214), set up for

Communicating with a control unit (242) of a

Home automation systems (230),

at least one second data interface (120, 220) connectable to the first data interface (114, 214), set up to communicate with at least one building-side electrical consumer (240.1, 240.2) in accordance with at least one home automation protocol.

2. charging station (100, 200) according to claim 1, characterized in that

the at least one first data interface (114, 214)

Cellular data interface (114, 214). 3. Charging station (100, 200) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one home automation protocol is selected from the group comprising:

KNX, in particular according to EN 50090 and / or ISO / IEC 14543 standard, Homematic,

- DECT Ultra Low Energy,

EnOcean,

ZigBee,

Bluetooth Low Energy,

Z-Wave,

- EEBUS, and

HomeKit wherein the second data interface (120, 220) is set up in particular to communicate in accordance with at least two different

Home automation protocols.

4. charging station (100, 200) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

marked that

an adapter module (258) has the second data interface (120, 220), and the adapter module (258) can be detachably coupled to a third data interface (254) of the charging station (100, 200) such that a connection between the first data interface (114 , 214) and the second data interface (120,

220) can be produced.

5. charging station (100, 200) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized

marked that

the charging station (100, 200) at least one between the first

The data interface (114, 214) and the application interface (232) arranged on the second data interface (120, 220),

wherein the application interface (232) is set up to forward a data record received from the first data interface (114, 214) to the second data interface (120, 220),

and or

wherein the application interface (232) is set up to forward a data record received from the second data interface (120, 220) to the first data interface (114, 214).

6. charging station (100, 200) according to claim 5, characterized in that

the first data interface (114, 214) is set up to communicate with the control unit (242) of a home automation system (230) in accordance with a first data protocol, and the application interface (232) is set up for protocol conversion of a data record received when the first data protocol differs from the

Home automation protocol distinguishes 7. charging station (100, 200) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the application interface (232) is set up to access a stored in a data memory (234) of the charging station (100, 200)

Allocation table (236),

- wherein the assignment table (236) comprises at least one piece of consumer information from the at least one building-side electrical consumer (240.1, 240.2) and / or the at least one piece of control unit information from the at least one control unit (242)

wherein the application interface (232) is configured to forward a data record based on the stored allocation table (236).

A home automation system (230) comprising:

at least one control unit (242), and

at least one communicatively connectable to the control unit (242)

Charging station (100, 200) according to one of the preceding claims.

9. home automation system (230) according to claim 8, characterized in that

the home automation system (230) has at least one building-side electrical system that can be communicatively connected to the charging station (100, 200)

Consumers (240.1, 240.2) includes,

wherein the at least one building-side electrical consumer (240.1,

240.2) is selected from the group comprising:

a garage lighting,

a parking space lighting,

a garden lighting,

a motion detector, a fountain system

a pond system,

a garden sprinkler,

a garage door opener, and

a garden gate opener.

10. A method of operating a home automation system (230),

in particular a home automation system (230) according to one of the

Claims 8 or 9 comprising:

Receipt of a data record, through a first data interface (114, 214) of a charging station (100, 200), from a control unit (242) of the

Home automation system (230), and

Forwarding of the data record through a second data interface (120, 220) of the charging station (100, 200) according to a home automation protocol to at least one electrical consumer (240.1, 240.2) on the building side and / or

Receiving a data record through a second data interface (120, 220) of a charging station (100, 200) according to a home automation protocol from at least one building-side electrical consumer (240.1, 240.2), and forwarding the data record through a first data interface (114, 214 ) the charging station (100, 200), to a control unit (242) of the

Home automation system (230).