EP3986745A1

EP3986745A1 - Management unit and method for managing a plurality of measurement units involved in a charging process

Info

Publication number: EP3986745A1
Application number: EP20746874.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sebastian Bode
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 2019-07-22
Filing date: 2020-07-09
Publication date: 2022-04-27
Also published as: WO2021013556A1; CN114126915A; DE102019210803A1; US20220250501A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a management unit for managing a plurality of measurement units involved in a charging process, wherein a plurality of distinguishable process identifiers is generated from a piece of authentication data of a user. A process identifier is transferred to a measurement unit involved in a charging process and integrated in a measurement data set from then on. Such a charging process also comprises in particular different phases of a charging process, wherein current branches joining or exiting, such as converter branches, for example, are involved in each phase, which for their part comprise measurement units joining or exiting the charging process. Providing distinguishable process identifiers on the basis of authentication data advantageously ensures a unique allocation between a charging process and a user and a unique allocation of a plurality of measurement data sets generated by different measurement units to a charging process of the user, even if these change, join or exit during the charging process due to a charging power controlled in variable switching steps of the current branch.

Description

description

Administrative unit and method for managing a plurality of measuring units involved in a charging process

The invention relates to an administration unit and a method for managing a plurality of measuring units involved in a charging process.

Electric vehicles or vehicles that are at least partially driven by electrical energy have at least one accumulator which has to be charged regularly when the electric vehicle is in operation. The electric vehicle is charged at a charging station - also known as Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment or EVSE for short - which is connected to the electric vehicle via a charging cable or a wireless, inductive coupling.

So-called charging points are often used in expanded infrastructures, with a charging point being characterized by separate components compared to a charging station. Individual components of the charging station, e.g. converter branches or converter stages, are not necessarily assigned to a specific charging point, but are dynamically assigned to the charging points as far as possible. Depending on the required charging capacity, a charging point is also fed with electrical energy from several converter branches or converter stages.

With the increasing expansion of a charging infrastructure with several charging points, increased attention is being paid to guaranteeing a manipulation-proof, traceable and verifiable billing of the electrical energy transferred. Calibrated measuring devices for measuring the electrical energy transferred to the form the basis for this

Electric vehicle or, in general, an energy sink. The requirements for such measuring devices are always shaped by legal calibration requirements.

A development towards new types of measuring devices can currently be observed which, in addition to their very own task - measuring electrical energy - have expanded functions for the creation of a measurement data set. In such a measurement data set, for example, an assignment of identification data to the measured electrical energy is provided. In the following, such a new measuring device will therefore also be referred to by the term measuring unit. The development of modern measuring units is characterized by the requirement to provide measured values with an identification date for the electrical energy drawn from the energy sink.

At public charging stations, which are available to a user to charge their electric vehicle - the energy sink -, it is primarily the respective user who needs to be identified in order to bill the drawn electrical power. This requirement is more extensive than the requirements for normal household energy meters or »electricity meters«. , where only the energy sink - usually an entire household - can be identified. In normal household energy meters, the energy sink is usually identified via a meter number. A more extensive detailing of a user is currently not technically provided for standard household energy meters and is also not necessary for billing purposes. At public charging stations, however, the respective user must be identified in order to bill the electrical power drawn.

At current public charging stations, which are available to a user for charging his electric vehicle, the user is identified and authenticated, for example with the aid of a card. The electrical power drawn is then only measured by a current measuring device, while an allocation of measurement data to the user required for billing is carried out by the Charging station takes place. The result of this assignment is then an overall measurement data set in which the measurement data on the electrical power taken are set up in detail and then assigned to an authenticated user. From the prior art, measuring devices are also known that automatically form a total measurement data set, but here, too, the assignment is made by the charging station by making the user's data available in advance, ie at the start or at the latest immediately before the end of the measurement .

In other words, current public charging stations require a central control in which an identification of the user, an authentication of the user and the creation of a billing data record are implemented. With a predictable increase in the number of public charging stations, it appears desirable to shift some of these implementations from the central control of the charging station to a separate instance or remote instance or to distributed components inside or outside the charging station or the charging infrastructure and thus to the Reduce the technical effort for the development and operation of the central control of current charging infrastructures.

Future charging infrastructures with several charging points will also include more than one measuring unit per charging point, as one measuring unit will be provided per converter branch or converter stage to measure the electrical energy output from several converter branches. Since the measurement data records recorded by the measurement units are relevant for billing, it must be ensured that a clear assignment to a user is possible.

However, this requirement proves to be technically difficult for several reasons. On the one hand, it is the case that the users at the charging points change regularly. Therefore, a clear assignment between a charging process and a user must be guaranteed. On the other hand, this access Order can also be clearly guaranteed if several measuring units are to be assigned to a charging process fed from several converter branches. In particular, it must be ensured that the assignment is withdrawn if the energy fed into a converter branch is switched from a charging process by a first user to a charging process by a second user.

An assignment of an authenticated user to several measurement data sets from individual converter branches does, however, meet safety-related reservations. In future charging infrastructures, technical and / or organizational measures have to be taken in order to prevent such a multiple assignment of an authenticated user.

The object of the invention is to provide means for managing a plurality of measurement units involved in a charging process, which ensure the creation of an overall measurement data record that can be assigned to a user from a plurality of measurement data records generated during a charging process.

The object is achieved by a modular measuring unit with the features of claim 1 and by a process with the features of claim 5.

The management unit according to the invention for managing a plurality of measuring units involved in a charging process comprises:

an authentication module for authenticating a user using at least one authentication data assigned to the user;

a demand reception module for receiving a demand request message which is sent by one of the plurality of measuring units involved in the charging process and identifies this by a measuring unit identifier;

a process identification module for generating a generated on the basis of the authentication date and for each may request message distinguishable process identifier;

an interface module for transmitting the process identifier to the measuring unit determined by the measuring unit identifier;

the interface module is further set up to receive at least one measurement data record, this containing the process identifier and at least one measurement date; and;

an assignment module for creating an overall measurement data set that can be assigned to the user by combining at least one measurement data set collected for at least one process identifier.

The administrative unit according to the invention provides for a plurality of distinguishable process identifiers to be generated from a user's authentication date. A respective process identifier is transferred to a respective measuring unit involved in a charging process and is then integrated into a measurement data record. Such a charging process also includes, in particular, different phases of a charging process, with incoming or outgoing current branches, for example converter branches, being involved in each phase, which in turn include measuring units that are added or removed from the charging process. For a measuring unit that is added to the charging process, it is provided that it sends a demand request message to the administrative unit, from which it receives a response that is based on the authentication data and can be distinguished for each demand request message. A sending of the requirement message to the management unit is either triggered by the measuring unit itself or requested by the management unit. The first-mentioned case corresponds to a “pushing” in which the measuring unit, as the data supplier, assesses a need in the form of events or data changes and, if necessary, sends a demand request message to the administrative unit. The second case mentioned corresponds to "polling", in which the administrative unit meets the requirements with cyclical or event-driven queries - for example in the form of a protocol for querying the managed measuring units, which is not discussed in greater detail here - is monitored and a request request message is sent from one or more measuring units.

The provision of distinguishable process identifiers on the basis of the authentication data advantageously ensures an unambiguous association between a loading process and a user. In addition, the provision of distinguishable process identifiers ensures that several measurement data records generated by different measurement units are clearly assigned to a charging process by the user, even if they change, enter or cede during the charging process due to a charging power controlled in variable switching stages of the current branches.

The inventive unique alternating assignment of the authentication data of an authenticated user to several distinguishable process identifiers avoids multiple assignment of the authentication data in an advantageous manner and is therefore not subject to any security reservations in future implementations either.

Further embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

Further exemplary embodiments and advantages of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. The single figure shows a schematic representation of a charging infrastructure in communicative connection with an embodiment of an administrative unit according to the invention.

A CHP charging infrastructure is used to charge EVs or at least partially electrically powered vehicles. For this purpose, the CHP charging infrastructure comprises two charging points to which the EV electric vehicles can be connected via a corresponding CC charging cable. The charging infrastructure CHP usually comprises a plurality

- not shown - converter branches. With the respective converter branches, for example, a three-phase alternating current is converted into direct current. This direct current can then be used to charge the electrical energy storage devices of the electric vehicles EV at the respective charging points.

Furthermore, the charging infrastructure CHP comprises a plurality of measuring units M1, M2, M3, M4 which, for example, measure an electrical energy output in the individual converter branches or also an electrical energy output on the charging cable. Furthermore, electrical energy can be determined by respective measuring units M1, M2, M3, M4, which is e.g. fed to a respective converter branch from a power supply network. Further measuring units M1, M2, M3, M4 can be provided for measuring electrical energy that is fed to or taken from the charging cable CC. In the first case, the measuring unit M1, M2, M3, M4 can be localized on the side of the charging infrastructure CHP, in the second case it can be localized near the vehicle, for example at the plug or end of the charging cable CC.

Incidentally, the measuring units M1, M2, M3, M4 are not restricted to measuring electrical energy; depending on the implementation, measuring units M1, M2, M3, M4 can also be used for measuring an electrical voltage, an electrical current, an electrical power, an electrical reactive power, an electrical resistance, or a temperature can be used. Furthermore, measuring units M1, M2, M3, M4 can also be used to determine a time or to measure a period of time.

The measuring units M1, M2, M3, M4 preferably include a

- Not shown - measuring module for measuring at least one measured variable and for determining at least one measurement data from the measured variable and a - not shown - interface module. The interface module in a measuring unit M1, M2, M3, M4 works with an MIF interface of the charging information Structure CHP for exchanging messages MSG bidirectionally together. The messages MSG are exchanged in a cryptographically secured manner with an interface module IFC of the administrative unit AMU via the MIF interface of the charging infrastructure CHP. This MIF interface is not restricted in terms of its spatial extent. A local or global data network can be used as the MIF interface, for example, which connects a plurality of spatially distributed charging infrastructures in a known packet-oriented manner. In contrast to the arrangement shown in the drawing, the MIF interface can also comprise a plurality of charging infrastructure units.

One embodiment of the management unit AMU for managing the plurality of measuring units M1, M2, M3, M4 involved in a charging process comprises an authentication module AUT for authenticating a user USR on the basis of at least one authentication date assigned to the user. The management unit AMU further comprises a demand reception module RQM for receiving a demand request message sent by one of the plurality of measuring units M1, M2, M3, M4 involved in the loading process and identifying them by a measuring unit identifier, as well as a process identifier module PID for generating one based on the authentication date process identifier distinguishable for each demand request message.

A process identifier, for example, is transmitted to the measuring unit M1, M2, M3, M4 determined by the measuring unit identifier via the interface module IFC of the administrative unit AMU. Furthermore, the interface module IFC is set up to receive the measurement data records from the measurement units M1, M2, M3, M4. These measurement data records contain the respective process identifier and at least one measurement date and are preferably cryptographically secured.

The administration unit AMU also includes an assignment module ASS for creating a user-assignable system complete measurement data set by merging at least one measurement data set collected for at least one process identifier.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the above-mentioned modules IFC, RQM, PID, ASS, AUT of the administration unit AMU are available as separate hardware modules which communicate with a central controller CTR within the administration unit AMU. In alternative embodiments of the invention lie some or all of the above modules

IFC, RQM, PID, ASS, AUT at least partially as software modules, the program code of which is loaded in a central control CTR of the administrative unit AMU and executed. The above-mentioned modules IFC, RQM, PID, ASS, AUT can be run as independent processes on a central server or as distributed web services in a distributed environment or cloud.

In the following, the method according to the invention is explained in more detail in the embodiment shown here. The first step according to the invention provides an authentication of a user USR on the basis of at least one authentication data assigned to the user USR. Various designs are conceivable here. An authentication date is determined, for example, from using a prepaid card in connection with entering a personal identification number, abbreviated to PIN, or from a mobile terminal of the user USR in connection with an application run on the mobile terminal. After the identity has been confirmed by authentication - which is optionally accompanied by additional authentication features such as entry of secret numbers, registration of physical features such as face recognition, etc. - the user USR is optionally authorized for authentication, i.e. whether the identified user is determined USR is authorized to use it, followed by a selection and charging release of the charging point desired by the USR user.

The authorization is preferably involving a remotely requested - not shown - user account with checking of the authorization or credentials of the user USR completed.

Before the start of or during the charging process, one or more of the measuring units M1, M2, M3, M4 that are involved in the charging process are received at the requirement receiving module RQM. The measuring unit M1, M2, M3, M4 involved in the charging process send, for example, a request request message to the administrative unit ÄMU when an event occurs in which the measuring unit

M1, M2, M3, M4 is involved in a charging process. Such requisition messages are exchanged as packet-oriented messages MSG between the interface MIF of the charging infrastructure CHP and the interface module IFC of the administrative unit ÄMU. In the demand request message, the measuring unit M1, M2, M3, M4 is identified by an individual measuring unit identifier. A message similar to the demand request message is also sent when an event occurs in which the participation of the measuring unit M1, M2, M3, M4 in a charging process is stopped or ended.

When a requirement request message is received, the administration unit ÄMU then generates a distinguishable process identifier by the process identifier module PID. This process identifier corresponds to a certain similarity to the authentication date of the user USR also to an authentification date or identification date, but with the difference that now several different - i.e. also distinguishable - process identifiers are created for a user identity, which due to the fact that the generation of the Process identification based on the authentication date can be assigned to the USR user at any time. However, due to the different nature of the process IDs, multiple assignment of authentication data is advantageously avoided. A measuring unit M1, M2, M3, M4 involved in the charging process receives, in response to the aforementioned requirement request message, a process identifier sent by the management unit ÄMU, which can also be contained in a message MSG. This message MSG containing the process identifier is sent by the administrative unit ÄMU to the measuring unit M1, M2, M3, M4 determined by the measuring unit identifier of the request message received previously.

A measuring unit M1, M2, M3, M4 involved in the charging process now sends - at regular time intervals or based on an event - a measurement data record to the administrative unit AMU with reference to this process identifier. In addition to this process identifier, the measurement data record contains at least one measurement date.

After the loading process has ended, a total measurement data record ACD that can be assigned to the user USR is created in the assignment module ASS by merging all measurement data records collected for the process identifier. The total measurement data set ACD is sent to a billing center ACC for billing the electrical energy. The total measurement data set ACD is sent either - as indicated in the drawing - via a separate external interface of the assignment module ASS, or via the interface module IFC. In both cases, the transmission of the total measurement data set ACD and a further data exchange with the accounting center ACC takes place via a cryptographically secured message exchange. The total measurement data set ACD is preferably provided with a time stamp and then digitally signed. For the signature, a value, which can also be referred to as a signature or digital signature, is calculated for example by means of the assignment module ASS with the aid of a corresponding signature key for the overall measurement data record ACD. The signature makes it possible to use a public verification key to check the authorship and integrity of the overall measurement data set ACD. According to one embodiment, the administration unit comprises a time server through which the administered measuring units

M1, M2, M3, M4 get a current time.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the generation of the process identifier is already started in the course of the authentication of the user USR. Such a measure is advantageous, for example, when the user initiates his authentication to enter a parking area - for example by capturing an authorization card or credit card. The process identifier can then be used both for accounting for his parking time and for a charging process that started after entering the parking area. To record the parking time, it is advantageous that a timer for the generated process identifier is started in the course of the authentication. The value of the timer read e.g. when driving out then represents the parking time, which can be billed in addition to the electrical energy used for the charging process.

A corresponding application example of this embodiment of the method according to the invention is described below. A user USR drives his electric vehicle EV into a parking garage. To open the barrier, he must authenticate himself. The authentication information is transmitted to the administrative unit AMU. A duration measurement is then started in the administrative unit AMU. The USR user drives to a free charging point and connects his vehicle EV with a charging point. A controller assigned to the charging point uses the power required by the vehicle EV or the requested current to determine that three converter stages would be required to provide the requested power or the requested current, but currently only two converter stages are available. The management unit AMU is informed with corresponding requirement request messages and generates two process identifiers, which are sent to the measurement parameters assigned to the two performance levels. units are transmitted. The charging process will then start. The management unit AMU starts a further duration measurement based on the charging process or forms an intermediate value for the first duration measurement that is already ongoing and is being continued.

During the charging process, another third converter stage will be free. The power output or the current output is increased using the third converter stage. For this purpose, the management unit AMU transmits a further process identifier to a measuring unit assigned to the third strand of the third converter stage, ends the second duration measurement and starts a further, third duration measurement.

In the further course, the electric vehicle now only needs a lower charging current due to a sufficient state of charge being reached.

The third strand is then removed from the loading process. The measuring process for the measuring unit assigned to the third strand of the third converter stage is terminated accordingly. The measurement unit assigned to the third line transmits a measurement data record to the management unit AMU and optionally indicates that the measurement process has ended. The administration unit AMU in turn starts a new duration measurement. The same takes place if, due to a priority charging process of another user, a line or a power level is withdrawn from the charging process of the user USR under consideration here and is supplied to the other user for his priority charging process.

The charging process for the user USR, which is considered further here, is continued with a lower charging power. The management unit AMU optionally receives measurement data records from measurement units that are no longer required, and sends new or existing process IDs to additional ones or again involved measuring units and starts a new duration measurement for each event until the user USR finally leaves the car park. All measurement data sets are combined into a total measurement data set by the assignment module ASS, provided with a time stamp, signed and made available for tariffing.

Claims

1. Management unit for managing a plurality of measuring units (Ml, M2, M3, M4) involved in a charging process, comprising:

an authentication module (AUT) for authenticating a user (USR) on the basis of at least one authentication date assigned to the user (USR);

a demand receiving module (RQM) for receiving one of the plurality of measuring units (Ml, M2, M3, M4) involved in the charging process and identifying these by a measuring unit identifier;

a process identifier module (PID) for generating a process identifier that is created on the basis of the authentication data and can be distinguished for each requirement request message;

an interface module (IFC) for transmitting the process identifier to the measuring unit determined by the measuring unit identifier (Ml, M2, M3, M4);

the interface module (IFC) is also set up to receive at least one measurement data record, this containing the process identifier and at least one measurement data; and; an assignment module (ASS) for creating an overall measurement data set (ACD) that can be assigned to the user (USR) by merging at least one measurement data set collected for at least one process identifier.

2. Administrative unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the measurement data set

an identification data of the measuring unit (Ml, M2, M3, M4); and or;

Contains time information assigned to the measurement date.

3. Administrative unit according to one of the aforementioned patent claims, characterized in that the interface module (IFC) and / or assignment module (ASS) are set up for a cryptographically secured exchange of messages (MSG) or the total measurement data set (ACD).

4. Administrative unit according to one of the aforementioned patent claims, characterized in that the interface module (IFC) and / or assignment module (ASS) for checking a signature or for assigning a signature in user data of the messages (MSG) or the total measurement data set (ACD ) are set up.

5. A method for managing a plurality of measuring units (M1, M2, M3, M4) involved in a charging process, comprising the steps:

Authentication of a user (USR) on the basis of at least one authentication data assigned to the user (USR) by an administrative unit (AMU);

Receipt of a requirement message sent by one of the plurality of measuring units (Ml, M2, M3, M4) involved in the charging process at the administrative unit

(AMU), the demand request message containing a measuring unit identifier which identifies the sending measuring unit (Ml, M2, M3, M4);

The administrative unit (AMU) generates a process identifier based on the authentication date that can be distinguished for each request request message;

Transmission of the process identifier to the measuring unit determined by the measuring unit identifier (Ml, M2, M3, M4);

Receipt of at least one measurement data record, which includes the process identifier and at least one measurement date;

and;

Creation of an overall measurement data set that can be assigned to the user (USR) by merging at least one measurement data set collected for at least one process identifier.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the process identifier is generated in the course of the authentication of the user (USR).

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that in the course of the authentication a timer is started for the process identifier it generated.