GB2597739A

GB2597739A - Method of charging of an electric vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2597739A
Application number: GB2011978.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Weston Paul; Stonier Jason
Original assignee: Siemens Mobility Ltd
Current assignee: Siemens Mobility Ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-31
Filing date: 2020-07-31
Publication date: 2022-02-09
Also published as: WO2022023562A1; GB2603439B; GB202011978D0; GB2603439A

Abstract

A method of hosting an authenticated electric vehicle 19 charging session and a method of participating in an authenticated electric vehicle charging session are disclosed. The methods include an authentication step, perhaps the single-factor authentication of the user, to open an authenticated electric vehicle charging session for the user. A local charging module 18 is identified and related to the session, preferably by the user scanning an identifier 31 or code on the charging station. An electricity product from a power provider is then selected or accepted. This may be a user selection from a predetermined list. An authorisation signal to initiate charging may be sent from a central control unit to the local charging module. A terminal signal is received from the central control unit when the charging of the vehicle is complete and meter information is gathered. The session is terminated and a termination notification and cost information are sent to the user. The authentication of the user in conjunction with the use of a distributed electric vehicle charging system enables the user to benefit from the advantages of using a domestic electric vehicle charger in an on-street location, including security and electricity pricing choices.

Description

METHOD OF CHARGING OF AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

The present invention relates to a method of facilitating the charging of an electric vehicle, in particular a method used in conjunction with a distributed electric vehicle charging system.

As part of a move towards achieving a low or net zero carbon target globally by 2050 the driving of electric vehicles (EV) has been actively promoted. For example, in the United Kingdom it is planned, over the next twenty years, to encourage drivers to adopt the use of [Vs in preference to conventional petrol and diesel vehicles that rely on inter- 1 0 nal combustion engines (ICE) as a means of reducing emissions, particularly in built up areas. Since each EV requires charging to enable this mass adoption of low-emission vehicles an appropriate charging infrastructure must either be in place or easily installed. For vehicles that spend the majority of time parked at an owner's property charging facilities can be provided on-site at the property. This is advantageous as it allows the charg-ing of [Vs at night, which is convenient for both the owner and the power supplier, since charging at night has a reduced impact on the local electrical supply grid compared with daytime charging, and [Vs can charge using a low current over a period of several hours. This solution is ideal where a property has sufficient land (such as a drive or garage) for the EV to be connected to the owner's power supply. However, where vehicle owners are reliant on on-street or communal parking this solution is less attractive. Aside from issues relating to the availability of charging facilities, charging an EV from a domestic property with a cable trailing across a pavement or street to reach the vehicle is typically not permitted, and at the very least, poses a significant health and safety hazard. In the United Kingdom a housing stock survey from 2010 estimated that 32% of the population were reliant on on-street parking, which creates an issue in enabling this group in access-ing EV charging facilities, and in reducing vehicle emissions generally.

Figure 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a conventional electric vehicle charging system. The EV charger 100 comprises a microcontroller module 101 able to receive communications via a 3G/4G/SG enabled device 102 in communication with a communications network 103. Authorisation and payment functions to enable a user to charge an EV are carried out at a backoffice 104 using the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) communications standard. The microcontroller module 101 is connected to a user module 105, comprising a payment system, such as an RFID/NEC (Radio Frequency Identification Device/Near-Field Communication) reader 106, a user display or touch sensitive screen 107, and user input switches or keypad 108 if the screen is not touch sensitive.

The microcontroller module 101 also links to a meter 109 that records the electricity us- age during charging, the meter being MID (Measurement Instruments Directive) certified, and a power contactor 110 that is enabled to supply current to the outlet connector 111 that connects to the EV. A locking mechanism 112 is provided, coupled to the outlet connector 111 and also under the control of the microcontroller module 101 to prevent un- authorised disconnection and disconnection during charging. If disconnection is not pre- vented there is a risk of an arc being generated on removal of the outlet connector, which is both damaging to the connector contacts and hazardous to health. In order to supply current to an EV the meter 109 is coupled to a power distribution network 112 via a power inlet 113 (either single-or three-phase), a manual isolator 114 and a 30mA type B re-sidual current breaker (RCD) 115 Each EV charger is provided with a TT earth spike or earthing mat (not shown).

In use, a user initiates charging by presenting an RFID card provided by the EV charging system network operator to the RFID/NEC reader 106. The EV charger checks this card against a centralised database housed at the backoffice 104 to authenticate the user and commence charging. Alternatively a smartphone or other smart device may be used to initiate the charge using an app installed on the device by communicating with the backoffice 104 directly via a communications network or by using RFID or NEC communications inherent in the smartphone/device with the RFID/NEC reader 106.

Whilst such EV chargers are acceptable for deployment individually or in clusters in car parks, for example, they are not ideal for deployment in on-street situations, such as in urban areas. Such EV chargers are bulky, since they must include an enclosure for housing all of the hardware elements that provide their function, relatively high cost due to this bulk and the complexity of the hardware they contain, and given their need for a TT earth spike, require the earth spike to be driven 2m into the ground or an earth mat buried in their vicinity nearby to function. Such factors are either undesirable or unat-tainable in a typical built-up urban setting, where typically space is at a premium.

Home EV charging units however differ in that authentication and metering are not required, and consequently are lower in cost than publicly available EV chargers. Metering (for example, via the electricity meter already installed in a property), security and installation are the responsibility of the homeowner, but this requires adequate land ad-jacent a property to park a vehicle during charging. Consequently this is not suitable for on-street parking locations.

One further issue that arises with using publicly available chargers is that the costof the electricity used to charge the electric vehicle is set by a single supplier. Whilst this may allow a user a choice between a standard and a so-called green tariff, both tariffs are being offered by effectively the same power supplier for electric vehicle charging.

This disadvantages users who do not have the ability to charge at home using a choice of electricity suppliers who supply to a domestic property. In addition, when charging an electric vehicle it may also be desirable to be able to set preferences relating to location, time of day, speed of charge or to be able to vary these criteria for individual charging events -in other words, to be able to set bespoke charging regimes or select from a number of stored options. This mimics the type of choice available in a domestic setting with power supplier and choice of charging time that again is not typically available to a user relying on publicly available charging outlets. Therefore there is a twin issue of firstly being able to access electric vehicle charging facilities when subject to on-street parking, and secondly, when such facilities can be used, users not being disadvantaged by being outside of a domestic setting.

The present invention aims to address these issues by providing, in a first aspect a method of hosting an authenticated electric vehicle charging session, comprising: authenticating a user of an electric vehicle charging system using at least a single-factor authen- 2 5 tication process, and, on the basis of the authentication, opening an authenticated elec-tric vehicle charging session for the user; identifying a local charging module in a distributed electric vehicle charging system and relating the identified local charging module to the authenticated electric vehicle charging session; accepting a first selected electricity product from a power provider and linking the authenticated electric vehicle charging session to the electricity product; sending an authorisation signal to a central control unit coupled to the local charging module by a local charging feed to initiate charging of an electric vehicle; receiving a termination signal, and gathering meter information on receipt of the termination signal, from the central control unit when charging of the electric vehicle is complete; and terminating the authenticated electric vehicle charging session, notifying the user and forwarding a cost to the user based on the meter information and the first selected electricity product.

By using a distributed electric vehicle charging system in combination with an authenticated electric vehicle charging session, the embodiments of the present invention re-create what is effectively a domestic charger and billing system in an on-street location.

Preferably, the step of accepting a first selected electricity product comprises se-lecting an electricity product from a pre-determined list. Alternatively, the step of accepting a first selected electricity product may comprise prompting a user to select an electricity product from a pre-determined list.

Preferably, the method further comprises the step of monitoring the authenticat-ed electric vehicle charging session and assessing the load on the central control unit.

Also, if the load on the central charging unit exceeds a pre-determined threshold, preferably, the current to the local charging feed is reduced or paused. Preferably, the monitoring includes recording the time the electric vehicle is parked, and the notifying the user includes a charge for parking. The monitoring may also include a continuous assessment of electricity products and the selection of at least a second selected electrici-ty product for charging the electric vehicle.

Preferably, the authenticating step comprises multi-factor authentication.

In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of the server-side of the present invention.

In a third aspect, the present invention also provides a method of participating in an authenticated electric vehicle charging session, comprising: sending an authentication request to a host to open an authenticated electric vehicle charging session; identifying a local charging module in an electric vehicle charging system to the host; accepting a se- lected electricity product from a power provider suggested by the host; monitoring charg-ing of the electric vehicle; receiving a cost and notification that the authenticated electric vehicle charging session is terminated from the host; and displaying the cost and the termination notification to the user.

Preferably, the authentication request comprises using at least single-factor authentication. More preferably, the authentication requires comprises using multi-factor authentication.

The authentication request is preferably sent from a mobile device or a vehicle adapted to connect to a communications or data network.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention also provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of the client-side of the present invention.

The present invention will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a conventional electric vehicle charging system; Figure 2 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the central control module of an electric vehicle charging system in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the local charging module of an electric vehicle charging system in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of the local charging module of an electric vehicle charging system in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the entire electric vehicle charging system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; Figure 6 is as schematic illustration of the cloud server-client arrangement in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; Figure 7 is a flow chart showing a method of hosting an authenticated electric vehicle charging session in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; Figure 8 is a flow chart showing a method of participating in an authenticated electric vehicle charging session in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a user interface provided on a user device to access the electronic vehicle charging system in accordance with embodiments of the present inven-tion.

The present invention takes an alternative approach to conventional and prior art EV charging systems. In order to replicate the experience of a domestic electric vehicle charger the present invention uses a method of hosting an authenticated electric vehicle charging session. This enables the first aspect, of security, to be achieved. This comprises authenticating a user of an electric vehicle charging system using at least a single-factor authentication process, and, on the basis of the authentication, opening an authenticated electric vehicle charging session for the user. It may also be desirable to use multi-factor authentication, as discussed in more detail below. The present invention also employs the concept of a distributed electric vehicle charging system, where on-street charging is provided via a network of local charging modules and central control modules. It is nec-essary to identify a local charging module in in this distributed electric vehicle charging system and to relate the identified local charging module to the authenticated electric vehicle charging session. Once this has been done, a first selected electricity product from a power provider is accepted and linked the authenticated electric vehicle charging session. An authorisation signal is sent to a central control unit coupled to the local charging module by a local charging feed to initiate charging of an electric vehicle. A termination signal is received and meter information is gathered on receipt of this termination signal from the central control unit when charging of the electric vehicle is complete. At this point the authenticated electric vehicle charging session is terminated, and the user is notified. A cost is forwarded to the user based on the meter information and the selected electricity product. By taking such an approach, particularly within the context of a distributed electric vehicle charging system, an electric vehicle owner is given a similar charging experience using public on-street charging as to a domestic charger. This arrangement will now be described in more detail below.

Figure 2 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the central control module of a distributed electric vehicle charging system suitable for use with embodiments of the present invention. The central control module 1 comprises an enclosure 2 that houses the components required for metering, communications and switching of an outgoing power supply. The central control module 1 is adapted to receive electricity from a power dis- 3 0 tribution network 3 and to distribute electricity to at least one local charging feed 4a-n.

An electricity supply 5 from the power distribution network 3 is received into the enclo-sure 2 via a power isolator 6 in the form of an internet-enabled over current protection device, such as a miniature circuit breaker (MCB). This in turn feeds at least one internetenabled fault detection device 7a-n, typically a 30mA type B residual current breaker (RCD) device with a miniature circuit breaker (MCB) device or a combined residual current breaker with overload protection (RCBO) device, and at least one internet-enabled MID-certified meter 8a-n, each of which is in electrical connection with one of the fault detection devices 7a-n. At least one internet-enabled central switch 9a-n, in the form of a power contactor, is provided to enable at least one local charging feed 4a-n to function. Furthermore, in order to provide earthing to local charging modules the central control module 1 is equipped with a TT earthing spike 10. The components of the central control module 1 are preferably internet enabled, as described above. This enables direct control and communication between each device and a cloud server, as described below.

The central control module 1 also comprises an internet-enabled central controller 11 in the form of a microcontroller module and a modem 12 in communication with a 36/4G/5G or other communications or data network 13. This enables the central control- ler 11 to send and receive information to and from either a cloud server hosting appropriate software that preferably employs the OCPP communications protocol used in electric vehicle charging, however other communications protocols may be used if desired or appropriate. This information includes the authentication requests and approvals, meter- 2 0 ing and charging details as required to initiate, maintain and terminate the EV charging process.

Looking at a single local charging feed 4a as an example, the central switch 9a is coupled exclusively to the local charging feed 4a. In addition, the central switch 9a is adapted to be switched by the central controller 11 on receipt of an authorisation signal transmitted to the central controller 11 via the communications network 13. The central switch 9a is coupled to the central controller 11 via an electrical connection 15 to enable this switching, and also coupled to an associated meter 8a, the meter 8a being adapted to record the flow of electricity to the local charging feed 4a. The associated meter 8a is also coupled to the central controller 11 by means of an electrical connection 16 to ena- 3 0 ble the passing of metering information to the central controller 11 and thus onwards to the cloud server 14. As described above, on the input side, the associated meter 8a is in electrical connection with a dedicated fault detection device 7a linked to the manual power isolator 6 and the power distribution network 3. On the output side, the local charging feed 4a exits the enclosure of the central control module 1 via an outlet 17. As shown in Figure 2, a plurality of fault detection device-meter-control switch-local charging feed chains are provided within the enclosure 2 of the central control module 1, connect-ed in parallel to each other via the fault detection devices 7a-n. Thus the central control module is coupled to a plurality of local charging feeds 4a-n and adapted to control each central switch 9a-n independently, and wherein each local charging feed 4a-n is coupled to at least one local charging module.

Figure 3 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the local charging module of a distributed electric vehicle charging system suitable for use with embodiments of the present invention. At least one local charging module 18, remote from the central control module 1, is provided, and adapted to receive electricity from one of the local charging feeds 4a-n and to supply electricity to an electric vehicle 19. The local charging module 18 is mounted on a post 20, and comprises the components required to deliver an electric charge to an electric vehicle 19 housed within an enclosure 21. The local charging module 18 comprises a local controller 22 configured to be activated by the switching of the central switch 8a-n coupled to the local charging feed 4a-n connected to the local charging module 18, a charging outlet 23 adapted to connect to the electric vehicle 19 and a local switch 24 adapted to be switched by the local controller 22 and coupled to the charging outlet 23. Figure 3 also shows the individual lines within the local charging feed 4a-n and to the electric vehicle 19 in more detail.

Preferably a local charging feed 4a comprises three individual lines: a switch line Li, a neutral line N and a protective earth line PE. It may be preferably to also include a fourth line, a live support line LS, since this will ensure that there is always power to the local controller 22. In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the Figures the live support line LS option is included. The charging outlet 23 comprises five individual lines: a switch line Li, a neutral line N, a protective earth line PE, a control pilot line CP and a proximity pilot line PP. The switch line Li into the local charging module 18 is a live line connected to the local switch 24 and the central switch 9a. The switch line Li exiting the local charging module 18 via the outlet is also connected to the local switch 24, such that when the local switch 24 is closed the switch line L1 is a live line running directly from the central control module 1 to the charging outlet 23 and consequently the electric vehicle 19. Both the neutral line N and the protective earth line PE run from the central control module 1 to the charging outlet 23. The live support line LS enters the local charging module 18, and rather than connecting directly with the local controller 22 is coupled to a power supply unit 25, which is also coupled to the neutral line N by a line n1 before the local switch 24. The local controller 22 is powered by a connection // to the switch line L1 before the local switch 24 and is coupled to the protective earth PE by an earthing connection E. The live support line LS acts as a separate feed to the local con- 1 0 troller 22 to ensure that it is always connected to power. However, as described above this may be omitted if desired and the power supply unit 25 connected to the switch line L1 prior to the local switch 24. In this situation the local controller 22 is only connected to power when the central controller 11 has enabled power to the local control module 18 following a successful authentication of a user. A power store, such as a battery, is re- quired to enable the local controller 22 to cease the communication with the electric ve-hicle 19 once the central controller 11 has opened the central switch9a. The local controller 22 communicates with the electric vehicle 19 by means of the control pilot line CP and the proximity pilot line PP. Should the electric vehicle 19 wish to terminate the charge or a fault is detected by the local controller 22, such as an open earth connection to the electric vehicle 19, the local switch 24 is opened by a signal from the local control-ler 22 over the local switch line Is. This is discussed in further detail below.

Figure 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of the local charging module of a distributed electric vehicle charging system suitable for use with first embodiments of the present invention. The local charging module 18 is mounted within the post 20, although alternatively could be mounted on the outside of the post 20, depending on installation preference. A flexible charging cable 26 is connected to the charging outlet 23 and provided with an outlet connector 27 for attaching to the charging port of the electric vehicle 19. An armoured supply cable 28 houses the local charging feed 4a and is laid within a system duct 29 below the surface of the pavement or road 30. An identifier 31 is posi- 3 0 tioned on the exterior of the post 20 to enable a user of the charging system to identify the local charging module 18. Preferably the identifier 31 is an optical identifier, such as a OR code, bar code, text or numerical string, image or other optically readable device. However, it may be desirable to have an identifier that is readable using an alternative passive or active interrogation signal, for example, RFID tags, NFC or Bluetooth devices. The electric vehicle charging system in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention outlined above functions in accordance with IEC61851-1 and the signal-ling protocol outlined therein. This signalling protocol is designed to enable the electric vehicle 19 to control the charging process by following a number of steps and utilising both the control pilot line CP and the proximity pilot line PP coupled to the local controller 22. In embodiments of the present invention this signalling protocol is used alongside an authorisation process to determine the identity of the local charging module 18, the identity of a user, and whether or not alternating current (AC) should flow to enable charging to occur.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the entire distributed electric vehicle charging system suitable for use with embodiments of the present invention. This illustrates the central control module 1 linked to a plurality of local charging modules 18, each of which comprises a post 20 and two charging outlets 23, an electric vehicle 19 connected to a local charging module 18, and the communications network 3 and cloud server 14. Having discussed the distributed electric vehicle charging system suitable for use with embodiments of the present invention above, the methods in accordance with em-bodiments of the present invention will now be described.

The methods in accordance with embodiments of the present invention are partly characterised by the simplicity of the distributed nature of the electric vehicle charging system they are intended to work with. In addition, embodiments of the present invention are able to replicate the charging experience of a domestic electric vehicle charger in a public on-street situation. This is partly due to the security of the electric vehicle charg-ing session, and partly due to the ability of the software running on the cloud server to act as a broker for electricity products that a user may take advantage of in publicly charging an electric vehicle. Embodiments of the present invention take advantage of a client-server relationship between firstly the user and a cloud server, secondly the central control module 1 and the same cloud server and thirdly a utility company/energy whole-saler and the same cloud server. The cloud server is illustrated in Figure 6, using the UK

II

energy market as an example. This would differ between jurisdictions but the principle with regard to being in communication with both an energy provider (such as a utility company, UC) and an energy wholesaler (such as National Grid Electricity Transmission, NGET) still applies.

Figure 6 is as schematic illustration of the cloud server-client arrangement in ac-cordance with embodiments of the present invention. Although only a single cloud server arrangement is shown, in accordance with the principles of cloud computing different elements of the system may be located in different places, or using the principle of virtualisation, located in different areas of the same server. The cloud server 600 comprises a processor 601 on which the software, in the form of a computer program product, for hosting an authenticated electric vehicle charging sessions runs, a first database 602 comprising user account details, a second database 603 comprising details of local charging modules 18 and their central control modules 1, an interface 604, which is preferably an API (application programming interface) to control the requests being made by the cloud server and determine the communication interface between the various elements of the system. The interface 604 enables the communication between the cloud server and the user 605, the distributed electric vehicle charging system 606, at least one energy provider 607 and at least one energy wholesaler 608. The cloud server is also able to access financial settlement systems 609 that are able to carry out electronic money trans- 2 0 fers, such as BACS (Bankers' Automated Clearing System) or CHAPS (Clearing House Au-tomated Payment System) or other clearing systems.

Figures 7 and 8 are drawn in such a manner as to reflect the time sequence of their steps, as outlined below. Figure 7 is a flow chart showing a method of hosting an authenticated electric vehicle charging session in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The method 700 comprises firstly, authenticating a user of an electric vehicle charging system using at least a single -factor authentication process, and, on the basis of the authentication, opening an authenticated electric vehicle charging session for the user. The user sends an authentication request to the cloud server 600 that is received via the API 604. Once received the data in the request is compared with data held in the database as part of a user account held in the first database 602 at step 702. The authentication method used may be single-factor authentication, or preferably multi-factor authentication, depending on the preference of the users or provider of the distributed electrical vehicle charging system. In the case of single-factor authentication, a password may be provided by the user. In the case of multi-factor authentication in addition to the password there may be a token stored on the user's mobile device or smartphone, which acts as the second authentication factor. If the user is successfully authenticated, the next step 703 is for the software to identify a local charging module 18 in a distributed electric vehicle charging system. This is done by the user sending identification information to the cloud server 600. This identification information can be obtained using a number of techniques, such as optically scanning an identifier 31 such as a OR code, bar code, text or numerical string, image or other optically readable device or using passive or active interrogation signal, for example, RFID tags, NFC or Bluetooth devices. In order to identify the local charging module 18 data obtained from the identifier is compared with data held in the second database 603. At step 704 the software relates the identified local charging module to the authenticated electric vehicle charging ses-sion, ensuring that the authenticated electric vehicle charging session links the correct user to the correct local charging module 18. This initiates the authenticated electric vehicle charging session.

The next phase of the process involves the selection of an electricity product. An electricity product may be a tariff, such as charge per unit of electricity used, or a time-based charge, such as a charge for the time spent at the local charging module with a flat rate for electricity. Other charging mechanisms are also possible. In order to be able to charge the electric vehicle at step 705 the software accepts a first selected electricity product from a power provider. A first selected electricity product may be selected from an electricity product from a pre-determined list. This list may be generated by the soft-ware from daily unit prices and other charges from various energy providers 607 chosen either on the basis of price or on the basis of user preferences, stored with the user data or requested from the user as part of the initial stages of the authenticated electric vehicle charging session. Alternatively, the cloud server 600 may communicate with either energy providers 607 or an energy wholesaler 608 to obtain information with which to make the selection. A second approach is for the step of accepting a first selected elec- tricity product to comprise prompting a user to select an electricity product from a pre-determined list. This list may be generated from user preferences, as above, using either stored energy provider 607 data or real-time energy provider 607 or energy wholesaler 608 data, or based on information provided by the user during the authenticated electric vehicle charging session. At step 706 the software links the authenticated electric vehicle charging session to the electricity product, and, at step 707, by sending an authorisation signal to a central control unit coupled to the local charging module by a local charging feed, initiating charging of an electric vehicle.

Once the electric vehicle 19 has been charged, the cloud server 600 receives a termination signal at step 708 and gathers meter information on receipt of the termina-tion signal, from the central control module 1 when charging of the electric vehicle is complete at step 710. Finally the cloud server 600 terminates the authenticated electric vehicle charging session, and at step 711, notifies the user and forwards a cost to the user based on the meter information and the selected electricity product. The metering data preferably comprises the number of units of electricity used to charge the electric vehicle 19. Other mechanisms to determine a charge, such as time-based methods, may be used instead.

During the authenticated electric vehicle charging session it may be desirable to additionally monitor the authenticated electric vehicle charging session to assess the load on the central control unit. There may be occasions where the local power grid risks be-coming overloaded due to the volume of electric vehicle 19 being charged at the same time. By monitoring this load the cloud server can instruct the central control module 1 to pause charging at or reduce the current supplied to certain local control modules 18 to enable this load to be more evenly distributed. This may be done by setting the software to monitor if the load on the central charging unit exceeds a pre-determined or dynami-cally determined threshold, and therefore if so, the current to the local charging feed is reduced or paused. In addition, as the electric vehicle 19 is parked on a public roadway it may be possible that there are parking charges to be paid to a local authority or to a different party if the ownership and the operation of the distributed electric vehicle system are not the same party. Therefore as the time for which the electric vehicle 19 is parked at the local charging module is known from the identification step above, this data may be passed to a third party who then issues a charge for parking. Otherwise the monitor-ing may include recording the time the electric vehicle is parked, and the cloud server notifying the user that the fee paid includes a charge for parking.

As the cloud server may effectively broker electricity product specifically for charging electric vehicles 19, it may become apparent that a second, different, electricity prod- uct may be more suitable for the user. Therefore it is possible that the monitoring in-cludes a continuous assessment of electricity products and the selection of at least a second selected electricity product for charging the electric vehicle.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide for the client-side software to run in conjunction with the server-side software. Preferably such software takes the form of an application, or app, residing on an internet-enabled mobile device, such as a smartphone. Alternatively, the software may reside on a processor in a vehicle, where the vehicle is adapted to be connected to a communications network, for example via tethering an internet-enabled device or directly via mobile hotspot built into the vehicle itself. The app is a computer program product residing on the processor present in the internet-enabled mobile device. Rather than hosting the authenticated electric vehicle charging session, for the user, a method of participating in an authenticated electric vehicle charging session is required. This is illustrated in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a flow chart showing a method of participating in an authenticated electric vehicle charging session in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The method 800 initially com- prises, at step 801, the sending of an authentication request to a host to open an authen-ticated electric vehicle charging session. As described above, this may be done using either single-factor or multi-factor authentication. If authentication is successful, the user will then need to identify a local charging module 18 in an electric vehicle charging system to the host at step 802. As described above, this is done using an identifier 31, scanned using an internet-enabled mobile device such as a smartphone and present on the local charging module 18 from which the user has selected a cable and plugged in the electric vehicle 19. Next, at step 803, the user needs to accept a first selected electricity product from a power provider suggested by the host. This may be a selection from a list generated in the app, or based on preferences stored in the app. Once the authentication pro-cess and selection of the electricity product is complete the electric vehicle 19 begins to charge at step 804. During the charging process, at step 805, the user may monitor the charging of the electric vehicle 19 via the app, to see, for example, how long is left before desired level of charging is reached, how much electricity is being used, what is the cost of this in real-time and other items of interest. This is point at which the user may also be offered a second selected electricity product, as described above.; Once the electric vehicle 19 is charged, a termination notification is sent automati-cally from the central control module 1 that runs the local charging module 18 to the cloud server, enabling calculation of the final cost. At step 806 the user receives this cost, cost and notification that the authenticated electric vehicle charging session is terminated from the host. Finally, at step 807, the cost and the termination notification are displayed to the user.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a user interface provided on a user device to access the authenticated electronic vehicle charging session in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Three views of an internet-enabled mobile device 900 are shown. View (a) indicates an initial app screenshot showing the scanned identifier 31 of the local charging module 18, the location 33 of the electric vehicle 19 and a continue button 901 for the user to advance to the next screen. View (b) illustrates the selection of a preferred electricity product from a table 902 including power provider names, prices per unit, and for the amount of charge required, an estimated total, for the user to select from by touching the desired power provider entry in the table. This screen may also dis-play the current charge remaining in the electric vehicle 19 and the amount of charge required as a summary 903. Finally, view (c) illustrates a final screen shot where the user is shown a summary of the charge received and the final cost 904, and a button 905 to close the app.

By separating the communication, authentication and metering functions into a central control module 1, embodiments of the present invention enable relative freedom in the placing of the local charging modules 18 in an on-street parking situation. Each local charging module 18 is able to benefit from the central TT earth spike 10 provided in the central control module 1, removing the need for local installation of earth spikes or earthing mats. There is also no need to alter existing TN-C-5 earthing arrangements pro-vided in street lighting, as with some prior art systems. Preferably, each local charging module 18 is provided with a single-phase electricity supply only, since predominantly overnight charging may be slower than during the daytime when rapid charging is preferable, thus removing the need for a three-phase electricity supply and the associated switch gear and cabling in the local charging module18 and post 20. One option is to service the central control module 1 with a three-phase supply and split out the individual phases to feed the local charging modules 18.

Each central control cabinet 1 is preferably formed from steel, aluminium or stainless steel, depending on installation location, with the posts 20 in which the local charging modules 18 are located being formed preferably from galvanised steel or aluminium with the enclosure in which the local charging module 18 sits preferably being formed from aluminium sheet or injection moulded plastics materials. A locking mechanism at the local module 18 is not required since this is permanently tethered to the post 20, and a locking mechanism to prevent disconnection during charging is provided on the electric vehicle 19. In addition, since authentication is done via an app on a mobile device or within a vehicle, a user display is not required by the local charging module 18. This re- duces the complexity of the microprocessor required for the local controller 22 and re-moves the need for any form of reader or communications device being installed in the local charging module 18. Reductions in complexity in terms of both components and installation requirements result in a reduced cost for the electric vehicle charging system of the present invention compared with existing systems.

In the above embodiments two charging outlets 23 are provided per post 20.

However, depending on the area of installation and individual site requirements, it may be preferable to provide one, three or more charging outlets 23 per post 20. The flexible charging cables 26 tethered to each post preferably have a length of between 2m and 4m and are looped around an appropriate cable management system (not shown). Prefera- 2 5 bly the outlet connectors 27 are type 2 or type AC charging outlets, suitable for vehicles under both IEC and SAE electric vehicle charging standards. By tethering the charging cables 26 permanently to the post 20 not only is the need for a locking mechanism removed, the user has the convenience of a charging cable 26 always being available, without needing to remove a separate cable from the electric vehicle 19 and plug this in at both the local charging module 18 and the electric vehicle itself. Furthermore, should future standards with regard to electric vehicles 19 require tethered cables and type 2 connectors, embodiments of the electric vehicle charging system of the present invention will be able to meet such standards easily.

Thus the method of hosting and accessing an authenticated electric vehicle charging session to enable the charging of an electric vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the present invention offers the user the ability to benefit from on-street charging of electric vehicles with the advantages normally associated with charging an electric vehicle at a domestic property.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Method of hosting an authenticated electric vehicle charging session, comprising: Authenticating a user of an electric vehicle charging system using at least a single - factor authentication process, and, on the basis of the authentication, opening an authen-ticated electric vehicle charging session for the user; Identifying a local charging module in an electric vehicle charging system and relating the identified local charging module to the authenticated electric vehicle charging session; Accepting a first selected electricity product from a power provider and linking the authenticated electric vehicle charging session to the electricity product; Sending an authorisation signal to a central control unit coupled to the local charging module by a local charging feed to initiate charging of an electric vehicle; Receiving a termination signal, and gathering meter information on receipt of the termination signal, from the central control unit when charging of the electric vehicle is complete; and Terminating the authenticated electric vehicle charging session, notifying the user and forwarding a cost to the user based on the meter information and the first selected electricity product.
2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of accepting a first selected electricity product comprises selecting an electricity product from a pre-determined list.
3. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of accepting a first selected elec- tricity product comprises prompting a user to select an electricity product from a pre-determined list.
4. Method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of: Monitoring the authenticated electric vehicle charging session and assessing the load on the central control unit.5. Method as claimed in claim 4, wherein if the load on the central charging unit exceeds a pre-determined or dynamically determined threshold, the current to the local charging feed is reduced or paused.
5. Method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the monitoring includes recording the time the electric vehicle is parked, and the notifying the user includes a charge for parking.
6. Method according to claim 4, wherein the monitoring includes a continuous assessment of electricity products and the selection of at least a second selected electricity product for charging the electric vehicle.
7. Method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the authenticating step comprises multi-factor authentication.
8. Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, ca use the computer to carry out the method of any of claims 1 to 6.
9. Method of participating in an authenticated electric vehicle charging session, comprising: Sending an authentication request to a host to open an authenticated electric vehicle charging session; Identifying a local charging module in an electric vehicle charging system to the host; Accepting a selected electricity product from a power provider suggested by the host; Monitoring charging of the electric vehicle; Receiving a cost and notification that the authenticated electric vehicle charging session is terminated from the host; and Displaying the cost and the termination notification to the user.
10. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the authentication request comprises using at least single-factor authentication.
11. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the authentication requires comprises us-ing multi-factor authentication.
12. Method as claimed in any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the authentication request is sent from a mobile device adapted to connect to a communications or data network.
13. Method as claimed in any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the authentication request is sent from a vehicle adapted to connect to a communications or data network.
14. Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of any of claims 9 to 13.