EP4093634A1

EP4093634A1 - Method and system for controlling a charging process of an electric vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP4093634A1
Application number: EP21700420.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ingo Kledewski
Original assignee: Compleo Charging Technologies GmbH
Current assignee: Compleo Charging Solutions & Co Kg GmbH
Priority date: 2020-01-21
Filing date: 2021-01-12
Publication date: 2022-11-30
Also published as: WO2021148280A1; DE102020101360A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a charging process of an electric vehicle at a charging station, the method comprising the steps of: the charging station receives a charging request from the electric vehicle connected to the charging station; the charging request is linked to a user ID; a charging process is enabled at the charging station depending on the charging request; a power request of an energy supply network is received; a power feed-back request is sent to a user terminal using the user ID; a power feed-back response is received from the user terminal; and a power feed-back process is set at the charging station depending on the power feed-back response.

Description

Method and system for controlling a charging process of an electric vehicle

The subject matter relates to a method and a system for controlling a charging process of an electric vehicle at a charging station.

The increasing expansion of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles leads on the one hand to a higher probability of network overload, but on the other hand also offers the possibility of using the existing charging infrastructure to stabilize the network. Such network stabilization can be, for example, feeding back electrical power from an energy store of an electric vehicle via the charging station connected to the electric vehicle into an energy supply network. In particular, if an overload of an energy supply network (power network) is detected, a return of electrical energy can have a network-stabilizing effect using the energy storage device of the electric vehicles. The feedback as such is well known and is described, for example, in the ISO 15118-1: 2019 standard.

Before the energy recovery is carried out, a control unit of the electric vehicle communicates with a control unit of the charging station in order to adjust the parameters of the energy recovery. The user of the electric vehicle is not involved in this process, so that the user's wishes are not taken into account in the negotiated feedback parameters (feedback information).

Although the feedback is beneficial to the grid, it can be extremely disadvantageous for the user of an electric vehicle.

On the one hand, an electric vehicle is usually connected to a charging station when it needs to be charged, i.e. the state of charge is low, for example an SOC (State of Charge) of less than 50%. The user of the The vehicle usually wants to take over this fully charged at the end of the charging process in order to obtain the desired range. When feeding back, however, this request of the user is usually counteracted, so that a feedback process can lead to the user, who is expecting a fully charged electric vehicle, disconnecting an electric vehicle from the charging station that is not fully charged.

On the other hand, a large number of charging cycles caused by infeed and feedback can have a negative impact on the service life of the energy storage device (e.g. a battery) in the electric vehicle. It can therefore be in the interest of the user to be able to actively influence the type and number of regenerative processes.

The object was thus based on the task of being able to individually adapt a feedback process.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and a system according to claim 15.

A charging station in the sense of the subject matter can be a charging station set up in public or semi-public space, in particular a charging station. The charging station has a housing and is connected to an energy supply network via a supply network connection. At least one circuit breaker and one fault current circuit breaker and power electronics are located inside the housing of the charging station. A charging unit which is set up for communication with the electric vehicle on the one hand and with a central computer on the other hand can be formed by the power electronics. A charging station can have one or more charging points that are connected to the power electronics. The charging points can be controlled individually by the power electronics. The charging station can have a charging socket for receiving a plug of a charging cable and / or a firmly attached charging cable. An electric vehicle can be a purely battery-powered electric vehicle (BEV) or a plug-in-hybrid powered (PHEV) electric vehicle. Within the electric vehicle, an energy store, in particular an accumulator, can be connected to a charge controller which regulates the charging process.

Objectively, it is now proposed that a charging process be carried out first in the conventionally known manner. In such a process, a charging process and billing for the charging process can take place via a central computer (back-end). For this purpose, a charging request from the electric vehicle connected to the charging station is first received by the charging station. The charging station recognizes this charging request from the vehicle and obtains approval of the charging process from the central computer. For this purpose, a charging request is transmitted from the charging station to the central computer and received in the central computer.

The charging request can be linked to a user ID in the central computer. This link can also be present directly with the charge request, so that the user ID can be identified from the charge request. The user ID can also be determined after receiving the charging request. The user ID enables the charging process to be individualized and, in particular, to be invoiced to a user account.

Depending on the billing model, the charging process can be released immediately after a user ID has been determined or a user account is queried or an amount has been debited from a user account or an amount has been debited from a credit card or an online payment service provider or the like. This release is sent out by the central computer and transmitted to the charging station. The release is received in the charging station and enables the charging process to be released depending on the previously received charging request. This process is well known and therefore does not require any further discussion.

Objectively, it has now been recognized that while the charging process is in progress or after a charging process has been completed, as long as the electric vehicle is still connected to the charging station, the electric vehicle can be used to stabilize the network by feeding electrical power back from its energy store into the energy supply network. This can be used in particular to stabilize the frequency of the energy supply network.

A power request, in particular for network stabilization, can be received and from this it can be determined at which charging station and / or at which electric vehicle feedback is to be initiated. The performance requirement can therefore contain both a performance value and, optionally, a point in time, a time period and / or location information. The information on the power requirement can be used to determine with which power, when, for how long and / or where feedback is necessary. This can be used to determine the charging station at which feedback is required. An electric vehicle can be connected to the charging station determined in this way, the user of which should be informed about the feedback process and the user should be able to actively approve this process.

Using the user ID previously linked to the charging process, a feedback request can therefore first be sent out by the central computer. The corresponding feedback request can be received in a user terminal, for example a mobile computer such as a mobile phone or a so-called wearable such as a smart watch, smart glasses or the like. One aspect of the registration can be an application (app) specific for the user terminal, which is programmed to carry out the operations in the user terminal, as described below. For this purpose, the application has program instructions which are provided for execution on a processor of the user terminal and which enable the methods described here on the user terminal.

The user can view the feedback request on the user terminal. It is possible that the feedback request is sent directly from the central computer to the application, e.g. by means of an OTT (over the top) application, and is immediately displayed in the application. The feedback request can also be transmitted to the user terminal indirectly, for example as an e-mail or short message using a corresponding service.

The advantage of direct communication between the application on the user terminal and the central computer lies in the low latency between the sending of the feedback request and the receipt of the feedback request in the user terminal and a corresponding user reaction to it.

With knowledge of the feedback request, in particular with knowledge of feedback information (feedback parameters), the user can decide whether or not to consent to the feedback. Depending on this, a feedback response can be generated in the user terminal and transmitted to the central computer; the feedback response from the user terminal is received in the central computer.

The central computer then enables a feedback process to be released by the central computer setting a feedback process at the charging station as a function of the feedback response. The central computer can do this accordingly Send the setting parameters to the charging station and the recovery process can take place in the charging station according to these setting parameters.

Objectively, after the electric vehicle has been coupled to the charging station, a unique identifier, in particular a user identifier, is assigned to the charging process, which enables communication with a user of the electric vehicle. If, for example, a network overload, for example due to a frequency deviation or a voltage drop, is detected, users of Elektrokreten connected to charging stations can be contacted directly via the user ID. A respective user can then a

Approve or reject the regenerative process and depending on this, the regenerative process can be set. This means that the user always has the option of contradicting a feedback process or actively agreeing to it, so that the user's wishes are taken into account in network stabilizing measures.

The recovery request can be displayed on the user terminal as an "offer". Various recovery information, in particular a remuneration for the recovery, can be displayed so that the user can trigger the recovery process in the application, for example by pressing a confirmation button.

The user ID, which is used directly or indirectly to communicate with the user, can be an email address, a telephone number, a device identifier, for example a mobile device user ID or an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identification) and / or an application identifier. Using this user ID, the feedback request can be transmitted to the user terminal. In particular, when using a telephone number, a device identifier and / or an application identifier, direct communication can take place between the application on the user terminal and a central computer. This reduces the latency in order to agree to a feedback process. When an electric vehicle connects to a charging station, it can communicate its identifier to the charging station. This is possible using ISO 15118, for example. This identifier can therefore be known at the start of the charging process in the charging station and can be transmitted to the central computer together with the charging request. The user ID is then known immediately. It is also possible that initially only a vehicle identification number is transmitted with the charging request. This vehicle identification number does not necessarily have to be a user ID in the sense of the object. Rather, one of the above-mentioned user IDs assigned to the vehicle identification number can be stored in a user account. The central computer can then load the user ID depending on user information, such as the vehicle identification number.

According to one exemplary embodiment, it is proposed that the power requirement be dependent on a frequency measurement and / or voltage measurement and / or power factor measurement spatially assigned to the charging station. The main reason for a power demand can be a frequency fluctuation. A drop in frequency can be detected in the interconnected network and a power feed-in may be necessary to compensate for this. This is triggered by the performance requirement. It can also happen that the power requirement is locally limited. For example, a voltage fluctuation can occur along a supply line and feedback in the corresponding distribution line may be necessary to prevent the permitted voltage range from being networked. A power requirement for certain network areas can also be determined by measuring power flows on transformers. A power factor, for example cos φ, can also make it necessary to feed back along a line section or a specific network area. In particular, feedback can also be used for reactive power compensation. In this way, those charging stations can be determined at which energy recovery is useful in order to satisfy the power requirement. the corresponding charging stations can be coupled with electric vehicles and in this case provide electrical power. The spatially relevant charging stations are identified and, depending on this, the users of electric vehicles that are coupled to such charging stations are contacted as described above.

Direct communication with a user can take place in the form of a push notification to the user terminal. The user does not have to be active at first, but the application automatically receives the feedback request from the central computer as part of a push message and can display this directly on a message screen of the user terminal. The user thus immediately receives information about a feedback request without having to do anything himself. The user can then take action and agree, conditionally, or reject the feedback request.

In order to prevent energy recovery processes from being carried out incorrectly or in an unauthorized manner, it is proposed that a user authorization be carried out on the user terminal in response to a recovery request. Passwords, passwords, biometric information or the like can be queried on the user terminal in order to generate a response to the feedback request.

According to one exemplary embodiment, it is proposed that the user authorization take place by means of a two-factor authorization. One factor here can be “knowledge” and a second factor “possession”. For example, a PIN entry and a biometric scanner, for example a fingerprint scanner, can be used.

According to one exemplary embodiment, it is proposed that the feedback request has a period of validity. The user can react to the feedback request in almost real time by using his application. Since performance requirements are usually time-critical, the The recovery request, in particular the associated offer, must be limited in time. Within the time limit, the application can show the user the feedback request and / or the user can react to it. After the time limit has expired, the feedback request can be automatically rejected, hidden and / or deleted. A feedback request marked in this way can no longer be accepted, so that after the period of validity has expired, no feedback response with the release of the feedback process is possible.

Communication preferably takes place end-to-end between the user terminal and the central computer, more preferably between the application on the user terminal and the central computer. The application and the central computer can exchange feedback requests and feedback via an encrypted communication channel. This direct communication can prevent a so-called “man in the middle” attack from being successful. A so-called "phishing" attack can no longer take place either.

As already described at the beginning, it can be assumed that a user, when he connects his electric vehicle to a charging station, expects a charging process up to a certain minimum charge level of his electric vehicle. In order to enable the user to make a qualified decision about the release or non-release of the feedback process in the context of his feedback response, it is proposed that the feedback request be received in the user terminal together with information on the state of charge of the energy store of the electric vehicle. Current status information of the electric vehicle and / or the current charging process can thus be displayed to a user.

Current status information can be, for example, the current charge status of the energy storage device of the electric vehicle (SOC). All status information (charge status information) can be obtained from the charging station by the central computer and the vehicle connected to it can be queried as soon as the charging station that comes into question for the energy recovery has been determined. The information received can then be included directly or indirectly, completely or in part in the feedback request.

When energy is to be fed back, a user usually wants to know what the current state of charge is and he wants to know how much of it is fed back within the framework of the feedback. In the feedback request, the energy that is to be fed back can be specified as feedback information. This can be displayed in the application in relation to the charge status. For example, the energy to be fed back can be displayed as a percentage of the current state of charge. Further status information can be, for example, the energy drawn in the current charging process. This energy can be displayed as a percentage of the state of charge of the energy store. The energy drawn can also be displayed in relation to the energy to be provided during the regenerative process.

By displaying the state of charge information, it is easier for the user to make a decision as to whether or not they want to agree to the feedback request. He can also check whether and to what extent he would like to accept the offer and, if necessary, make a counter-proposal, as will be described below.

As a rule, it is relevant for a user to be able to cover the next distance to be covered with his electric vehicle. This means that the range must be sufficient for the user to achieve his desired goal. The desired destination can, however, depend on, for example, a date, a time and a charging station. If, together with the feedback request, information on feedback that has already taken place with the electric vehicle is displayed, a user can draw conclusions from historical information as to whether the current feedback process makes sense or not. With such information too For example, the routes or routes that have taken place at the corresponding charging station after this recovery can be displayed so that the user can decide whether he or she will reach his destination with the state of charge that remains after the recovery process if this destination has already been reached after a Regenerative process has been started.

As already explained, a feedback request can be understood as an offer. An offer can also contain, for example, a remuneration for the feedback process.

In addition, the feedback request and / or the feedback response can include feedback information. Feedback information can be feedback parameters. Regenerative information can include a regenerative energy, a regenerative power, a regenerative duration and / or an end of a regenerative process. A remuneration can also be provided as feedback information.

The user can react to this offer with consent and the feed-back process is released. The user can also change the offer, for example by changing the feedback information compared to the feedback request. For example, the user can vary the regenerative energy and / or the end of the regenerative process and / or the regenerative duration and / or the regenerative power and / or the remuneration associated with the regenerative. Compensation can include a fixed amount and / or a variable amount. For example, a fixed amount can be set for the release of the feedback process as such and a variable amount can be defined for each amount of energy fed back; in particular, a minimum feedback energy can also be defined for a feedback response, below which no user adjustment is possible. If the user has changed the feedback information, the feedback response contains this changed feedback information. According to one embodiment, it is proposed that a feedback response containing changed feedback information is received and that the feedback process is set as a function of the changed feedback information. The counter offer, which is contained in the changed feedback information, can be accepted or rejected in the central computer. After acceptance, the feedback process can be set according to the parameters set in the counter offer. For example, the user can reduce the amount of energy so that, despite consenting to feed back, at the end of the charging process when he returns to his vehicle, he will find a certain minimum amount of energy in the energy storage of his electric vehicle.

Another aspect is a system according to claim 15. This system can include not only the central computer, but also a charging station and / or a user terminal and / or an electric vehicle. These devices can communicate with one another and carry out the method as described above.

The subject matter is explained in more detail below with the aid of a drawing showing exemplary embodiments. In the drawing show:

1 shows a system for carrying out an objective method according to

Working examples;

2 shows a flow chart of an objective method according to a

Embodiment.

1 shows a charging station 2 with an electric vehicle 4 connected to it. An energy store 6 is arranged in the electric vehicle 4 via a charging controller (not shown). The energy store 6 draws from the charging station 2 and the energy supply network 8 arranged thereon, electrical energy during a charging process.

1 also shows a user terminal 10, for example a smartphone. In addition, a central computer 12 is shown with a user database 12a connected to it. Finally, a control center 14 of an energy supply network 8 is shown. The devices shown are connected to one another via a wide area network 16, for example using the Internet, a cellular network or the like, and are in communication.

The method in question can run as shown in FIG. 2 by way of example. At the beginning of a charging process, the electric vehicle 4 is coupled to the charging station 2 (18). After coupling (18), charging station 2 and electric vehicle 4 negotiate charging parameters, for example using a protocol according to ISO 15118. In addition, electric vehicle 4 can communicate a vehicle identification number (VI N) to charging station 2 (20).

Using the negotiated charging parameters and the VIN, the charging station 2 transmits a charging request (22) to the central computer 12 via the wide area network 16.

The central computer 12 first extracts the VIN from the charge request received and determines a user identifier (24) from the user database 12a and links this to the charge request. Then, using known methods, a user account is queried and a loading process is either rejected or approved.

The following is the case where a charge request was approved. The central computer 12 transmits a charging release via the wide area network 16 to the charging station 2 and the charging station 2 begins the charging process (26). During the charging process (26) it is checked (28) whether there is a power request or not.

A control center 14 can carry out measurements within the energy supply network 8, for example frequency measurements or voltage measurements or the like. For example, a voltage measurement can take place in close proximity to the charging station 2. If this voltage measurement results in a voltage that is too low, it can make sense to feed back electrical power to the charging station 2. It can also make sense to feed back electrical power in the event of a downward frequency deviation. The events for which feedback makes sense and for which network stabilization is necessary are well known and are therefore not described in more detail. If network stabilization is necessary, the control center 14 can transmit a power request (28) to the central computer 12 via the wide area network 16.

If there is no power requirement, the state of charge is checked (30) and, if the energy store 6 is full, a branch is made in step 28, and if the energy store is not yet filled, a branch is made in step 26.

If there is a power requirement (28), then regenerative parameters are determined (32) from the information on the power requirement.

Furthermore, using the user identification that was linked to the charging process in step 24, a feedback request is sent to the user terminal 10 via the wide area network 16 (34). Information on the state of charge, which was determined in step 30, can be appended to the feedback request. In the user terminal 10, the feedback request sent out as a push message is displayed on a user display. The user can decide (36) whether he wants to consent to the feedback process or not. In case that if he does not agree, a branch is made to step (26). In the event that he agrees without restriction, a feedback response is generated (38) and sent to the central computer 12 via the traffic network 16 from the user terminal 10.

The feedback parameters of the feedback request are displayed on the user terminal 10 and the user can, if necessary, make changes to the feedback parameters within a given framework (40) and transmit the correspondingly modified feedback response via the wide area network 16 to the central computer 12.

Depending on the feedback response received and the feedback parameters contained therein, a feedback process (42) can be set in the central computer 12 and the central computer 12 can instruct the charging station 2 via the wide area network 16 to set up a corresponding one

To carry out a regenerative process. After this feed-back process has elapsed, a branch is made to step 26.

List of reference symbols

2 charging station

4 electric vehicle

6 energy storage

8 Energy supply network

10 end device

12 central computer

12a database

14 control center

16 wide area network

18 Pairing the charging station and vehicle

20 Average vehicle identification number

22 Sending a charge request

24 Query user ID

26 Carry out charging

28 Review performance requirements

30 Check the charge status

32 Determine regenerative parameters

34 Send feedback query

36 Granting / not granting approval

38 Send feedback response

40 Change regenerative parameters and send regenerative response

42 Carry out a regenerative process

Claims

Patent claims

1. A method for controlling a charging process of an electric vehicle at a charging station, comprising:

Receiving a charging request for the electric vehicle connected to the charging station from the charging station,

Linking the charging request with a user ID, releasing a charging process at the charging station depending on the charging request,

Receiving a power request from an energy supply network, sending a feedback request using the user ID to a user terminal,

Receiving a feedback response from the user terminal and setting a feedback process at the charging station depending on the feedback response

2 The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the user identifier is a mail address, a telephone number, a device identifier and / or an application identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the user ID is received together with the loading request or that the user ID is loaded depending on user information of the loading request.

4 method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the power requirement is dependent on a frequency measurement and / or voltage measurement and / or power factor measurement spatially assigned to the charging station.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feedback request is sent as a push notification to the user terminal.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a user authorization is carried out on the user terminal in response to a feedback request.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a feedback request is assigned a period of validity and that a feedback response is suppressed after the period of validity has expired.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feedback response is created as a function of a result of a two-factor authorization.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feedback request and / or the feedback response are transmitted between a user terminal and a central computer, in particular that the feedback request and / or the feedback response Via a secure communication channel, in particular using end-to-end encryption between the user terminal and the central computer.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feedback request is received in the user terminal together with information on the state of charge of the energy store of the electric vehicle.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, together with the feedback request, information on feedback that has already taken place with the electric vehicle is displayed in the user terminal.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feedback request and / or the feedback response include feedback information comprising a feedback energy, a feedback power, a feedback duration and / or an end of a feedback process.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feedback information in the feedback response is changed in relation to the feedback information in the feedback request based on user inputs on the user terminal.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that a feedback response containing changed feedback information is received and that the feedback process is set depending on the changed feedback information.

15. System set up for controlling a charging process of an electric vehicle at a charging station, comprising: a central computer set up for

Linking the charge request with a user ID,

Release of a charging process at the charging station depending on the charging request,

Receiving a power request from an energy supply network is set up,

Sending a feedback request using the user ID to a user terminal,

Receiving a feedback response from the user terminal and setting a feedback process at the charging station depending on the feedback response.