KR20240048324A - System and method for charging elctric vehicle using bluetooth communication and local certification - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle charging system and method through Bluetooth communication and local authentication. The electric vehicle charging system includes a user terminal capable of communicating with each other, an external charging server, and a charger, the user terminal generating charging request information based on Bluetooth communication with the charger, and the charging request. An external charging server that generates a charging progress control signal based on information and a charger that provides power to the electric vehicle based on the charging progress control signal, wherein communication between the external charging server, the user terminal, and the charger is performed. In a disconnected network environment, the user terminal may transmit the charging request information to the charger through the Bluetooth communication, and the charger may generate the charging progress control signal based on the charging request information.

Description

Electric vehicle charging system and method through Bluetooth communication and local authentication {SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CHARGING ELCTRIC VEHICLE USING BLUETOOTH COMMUNICATION AND LOCAL CERTIFICATION}

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle charging system and method through Bluetooth communication and local authentication. Specifically, the present invention relates to an electric vehicle charging system and method that can implement P&C (Plug and Charge) using Bluetooth communication even when the network is disconnected.

Recently, due to the depletion of fossil energy and environmental pollution, interest in electric vehicles that use electric energy rather than fossil energy has increased, and research and development has been actively conducted.

Typically, an external charging server and charger exchange data with each other through server communication (e.g., 4G mobile communication technology, LTE). However, if the network environment is poor, that is, the network is disconnected, the connection between the server and the charger may not be smooth. At this time, processes such as user authentication and charging are often interrupted or do not proceed properly.

Therefore, there was a need for a charger and charging system that could authenticate users and charge electric vehicles even in situations where the network was disconnected.

In addition, there was also a need for technology that improves the user's charging experience by implementing P&C using Bluetooth communication under such network disconnection situations.

In addition, in the case of slow chargers, there is a need to implement P&C, but it is difficult to use a PLC modem due to increased costs, so there is no charger with a P&C function as of yet.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle charging system and method through Bluetooth communication and local authentication.

The method of authenticating the charger through an external charging server and a user terminal app requires communication between the external charging server, the user terminal app, and the external charging server and the charger to be able to charge without problems. Either the user terminal or the charger. If the network environment is not good, charging cannot proceed. The present invention seeks to minimize the influence of the network environment by allowing the user terminal app and the charger to communicate directly to initiate charging without going through an external charging server during the charging authentication process.

In addition, user experience is becoming increasingly important in the electric vehicle charging process, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a simple charging method by minimizing the required charging process.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the objects mentioned above, and other objects and advantages of the present invention that are not mentioned can be understood by the following description and will be more clearly understood by the examples of the present invention. Additionally, it will be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof indicated in the patent claims.

An electric vehicle charging system according to some embodiments of the present invention includes a user terminal capable of communicating with each other, an external charging server, and a charger, and generates charging request information based on Bluetooth communication with the charger. a user terminal, an external charging server that generates a charging progress control signal based on the charging request information, and a charger that provides power to the electric vehicle based on the charging progress control signal, wherein the external charging server and the user In a network environment where communication between the terminal and the charger is disconnected, the user terminal transmits the charging request information to the charger through the Bluetooth communication, and the charger generates the charging progress control signal based on the charging request information. You can.

Additionally, the charger may include at least one of a fast charger and a slow charger.

Additionally, a network environment in which communication between the external charging server and the charger is disconnected may include uncovered areas of 3G mobile communication technology, 4G mobile communication technology (Long Term Evolution, LTE), and 5G mobile communication technology.

Additionally, the charger transmits a Bluetooth signal when the user terminal approaches within a predetermined distance from the charger, and the user terminal may generate the charging request information based on the Bluetooth signal received from the charger.

In addition, the Bluetooth signal is a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) signal and includes the charger UUID and charger ID of the charger that transmitted the Bluetooth signal, and the charging request information includes the charging amount, user authentication information, the charger UUID and It may contain at least one of the charger IDs.

In addition, the charger includes a Bluetooth communication module that communicates with the user terminal using the Bluetooth communication, a user authentication module that performs user authentication and generates the charging progress control signal, and the electric vehicle according to the charging progress control signal. It may include a charging module that charges and generates charging result information, and a local database module that stores the generated charging result information.

In addition, the Bluetooth communication module transmits the charging result information stored in the local database module to the user terminal through the Bluetooth communication, and the charger, in a network environment where communication between the external charging server and the charger is smooth, It may further include an external charging server communication module that transmits the charging result information stored in the local database module to the external charging server, and a cleaning module that cleans the charging result information stored in the local database module.

In addition, the cleaning module transmits a cleaning signal to the local database module based on at least one of a first control signal received from the user terminal and a second control signal received from the external charging server, and the first control signal is transmitted to the local database module. The signal is generated in response to the Bluetooth communication module transmitting the charging result information to the user terminal, and the second control signal is generated in response to the external charging server communication module transmitting the charging result information to the external charging server. It can be created accordingly.

An electric vehicle charging method according to some embodiments of the present invention is a method of charging an electric vehicle using an electric vehicle charging system including a user terminal capable of communicating with each other, an external charging server, and a charger, wherein the external charging server, the user terminal, and the charger In a network environment where communication is disconnected, the charger transmits a Bluetooth signal to the user terminal, the user terminal generates charging request information based on the received Bluetooth signal and transmits it to the charger, and the charger transmits the received Bluetooth signal to the charger. It may include generating charging result information by providing power to the electric vehicle based on charging request information.

In addition, the local database module of the charger stores the generated charging result information, the charger transmits the generated charging result information to at least one of the user terminal and the external charging server, and the charger transmits the generated charging result information to at least one of the user terminal and the external charging server. The method may further include cleaning the charging result information stored in the database module.

The electric vehicle charging system of the present invention has a new effect of improving the user's charging experience by implementing P&C even in a slow charger.

In addition, the electric vehicle charging system of the present invention has the effect of reducing battery consumption of the user terminal by taking the form of a charger sending a Bluetooth signal and the user terminal receiving it, rather than sending a Bluetooth signal from the user terminal.

In addition, the electric vehicle charging system of the present invention has the effect of improving the user's charging experience by authenticating the user and starting charging without other user manipulation, such as opening an application.

In addition, the electric vehicle charging system of the present invention can perform user authentication and electric vehicle charging without server connection even when the network environment is poor, which has a new effect of improving the user's charging experience.

In addition, the electric vehicle charging system of the present invention has the effect of solving the problem of insufficient memory capacity of the charger that may occur during the electric vehicle charging process through local authentication through a cleaning process. In addition, rather than deleting the stored charging result information at a predetermined period, the cleaning process is performed only when the data is transmitted to the user terminal or external charging server and backed up, thereby preventing damage and damage to data related to electric vehicle charging. .

In addition to the above-described content, specific effects of the present invention are described below while explaining specific details for carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates an electric vehicle charging system according to some embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a block diagram of a charger according to some embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram to explain how a user terminal approaches a charger and the charger transmits a Bluetooth signal.
Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining user authentication in the electric vehicle charging process when users drive different vehicles at different times.
Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram schematically explaining the electric vehicle charging process in a second network environment.
Figure 6 is a block diagram of a charger according to some other embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a process of storing charging result information in a server according to some embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining cleaning signals according to some embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a flowchart of an electric vehicle charging method according to some embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a flowchart of an electric vehicle charging method including a user authentication procedure according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Terms or words used in this specification and patent claims should not be construed as limited to their general or dictionary meaning. According to the principle that the inventor can define the term or word concept in order to explain his or her invention in the best way, it should be interpreted with a meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention. In addition, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only one embodiment of the present invention and do not completely represent the technical idea of the present invention, so they cannot be replaced at the time of filing the present application. It should be understood that there may be various equivalents, variations, and applicable examples.

Terms such as first, second, A, and B used in the present specification and claims may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be named a first component without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term 'and/or' includes any of a plurality of related stated items or a combination of a plurality of related stated items.

The terms used in this specification and claims are merely used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "include" or "have" should be understood as not excluding in advance the presence or addition possibility of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification. .

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains.

Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense unless explicitly defined in the present application. No.

Additionally, each configuration, process, process, or method included in each embodiment of the present invention may be shared within the scope of not being technically contradictory to each other.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10, an electric vehicle charging system and method according to some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

Figure 1 illustrates an electric vehicle charging system according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the electric vehicle charging system 1 may include a user terminal 100 of a user driving an electric vehicle 150, a charger 200, and an external charging server 300.

The user terminal 100, the charger 200, and the external charging server 300 may be connected to each other through communication technology and/or a communication network.

At this time, communication technology and communication networks can play the role of providing a connection path to transmit and receive data between each component of the electric vehicle charging system 1. Communication technologies and networks may include, for example, wired networks or wireless networks.

Wired networks may include Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), MetRoFolitan Area Networks (MANs), and Integrated Service Digital Networks (ISDNs), but embodiments are not limited thereto.

Wireless networks include Bluetooth communication, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication, Near Field Communication (NFC), WLAN communication, Zigbee communication, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) communication, and WFD (Wireless Network) communication. -Fi Direct) communication, UWB (ultra-wideband) communication, Ant+ communication, WIFI communication, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) communication, 3G communication, 4G communication, and 5G communication, etc., but the scope of the present invention is limited thereto. It doesn't work.

In some examples, the user terminal 100 and the charger 200 may be connected to each other based on Bluetooth communication. In other words, the charger 200 does not communicate with the user's electric vehicle 150, but can communicate with the user's user terminal 100 using Bluetooth technology. At this time, Bluetooth communication may be BLE communication, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Additionally, unlike this, the external charging server 300 may be connected to the user terminal 100 and the charger 200 through 3G mobile communication technology, 4G mobile communication technology (LTE), 5G mobile communication technology, etc.

However, if the charger 200 is placed in a network environment where communication with the external charging server 300 is unstable, such as an underground parking lot, and the user wants to charge the electric vehicle 150 using the charger 200 at that location, the user The terminal 100 and the charger 200 may not have a smooth communication connection with the external charging server 300.

The electric vehicle charging system 1 of the present invention is capable of performing user authentication and electric vehicle charging processes in situations where server communication is unstable. Therefore, hereinafter, the user terminal 100 and the charger 200 intermittently use an external charging server ( This will be explained assuming that the communication connection with 300) is blocked.

Specifically, assuming that a network environment in which the user terminal 100 and the charger 200 have a smooth communication connection with the external charging server 300 is the first network environment, and a network environment in which the communication connection is blocked or disconnected is the second network environment, Explain.

In FIG. 1, to illustrate the intermittent limitation of server communication, communication (e.g., Bluetooth communication) between the user terminal 100 and the charger 200 is indicated by a solid line, and communication between the external charging server 300 and the user terminal 100 is indicated by a solid line. Server communication and external charging Server communication (eg, LTE communication) between the server 300 and the charger 200 is shown as a dotted line.

The user terminal 100 may include a device that generates charging request information for charging an electric vehicle.

Charging request information may include charging amount, user authentication information, charger UUID and charger ID received from the charger 200, etc. The charging amount may be directly input by the user each time charging, a specific value set and stored by the user, or a value predetermined by the charging server 300, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. The user authentication information may include a token issued upon user registration and stored in the charging application 100a, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

As some examples, the user terminal 100 may include a mobile device carried by the user, a desktop computer, a laptop PC, etc., and the mobile device may include a smartphone, a tablet PC, etc., but embodiments are limited thereto. That is not the case.

The charging application 100a provided by the external charging server 300 may be installed in the user terminal 100.

In some examples, the charging application 100a may perform data processing for charging the electric vehicle 150 of the charger 200 in the first network environment.

For example, the charging application 100a may generate charging request information and transmit it to the external charging server 300. At this time, the external charging server 300 may generate a charging progress control signal based on the charging request information and transmit it to the charger 200. Subsequently, the charger 200 may provide power to the electric vehicle 150 based on the charging progress control signal and generate charging result information as a result. Subsequently, the charger 200 may transmit the generated charging result information to the charging application 100a through Bluetooth communication or transmit the generated charging result information to the external charging server 300 through a communication network such as LTE.

Alternatively, the charging application 100a may connect to the external charging server 300 and perform membership registration according to the user's operation.

Alternatively, the charging application 100a may serve as a proxy for transmitting charging result information stored in the charger 200 to the external charging server 300. At this time, the charging application 100a may temporarily store the charging result information received from the charger 200 through Bluetooth communication in the second network environment and then transmit it to the external charging server 300 in the first network environment.

As some other examples, the charging application 100a may control the charger 200 to charge the electric vehicle 150 through interaction with the charger 200 in a second network environment.

First, the charging application 100a may receive a Bluetooth signal from the charger 200 and generate charging request information based on the received Bluetooth signal.

At this time, the Bluetooth signal may be a BLE advertising signal, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Additionally, the Bluetooth signal may include information about the charger UUID (Universally Unique Identifier), charger ID, etc., but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

The charging application 100a may be designed in advance to generate charging request information when a BLE advertising signal is received from the charger 200. That is, the charging application 100a minimizes user intervention by automatically generating charging request information when a BLE advertising signal is received from the charger 200 without a separate pairing process or user manipulation, thereby improving the user's charging experience. can be improved.

Subsequently, the charging application 100a may transmit the generated charging request information to the charger 200.

Subsequently, when charging of the electric vehicle 150 by the charger 200 is completed according to the charging request information, the charging application 100a may receive charging result information through Bluetooth communication. The charging result information may include the charging start time, charging end time, the amount of charge charged to the electric vehicle 150, the usage fee corresponding to the amount of charge, and the charger UUID and charger ID of the charger 200 that performed the charging. The embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto.

Thereafter, as described above, the charging application 100a may serve as a proxy for transmitting charging result information stored in the charger 200 to the external charging server 300.

The external charging server 300 may refer to the manager's server that provides the charging application 100a and the charger 200 installed on the user terminal 100.

The external charging server 300 may exchange and process data by communicating with the user terminal 100 and the charger 200 in the above-described first network environment, that is, a network environment in which server communication is smooth.

In some examples, the external charging server 300 may process membership registration through the charging application 100a installed on the user terminal 100 in a first network environment.

At this time, the external charging server 300 may issue a token during the user's membership registration process, and the issued token may be stored in the charging application 100a of the user terminal 100 and the database inside the charger 200. .

For example, when a user requests membership registration, the external charging server 300 may check the user data entered in the charging application 100a.

At this time, the external charging server 300 may verify the user data of the user using a separate identity authentication database. At this time, user data may include the user's name, resident registration number, address, vehicle registration number, etc.

As a result, if the user's identity is confirmed, the external charging server 300 may issue and store a token unique to the user in the charging application 100a. Additionally, the issued token can be transmitted to the charger 200 and stored in a database inside the charger 200.

As a result of the verification, if the user's identity is not confirmed, the external charging server 300 may send a request for correction of the user data to the charging application 100a.

As some other examples, the external charging server 300 may receive charging request information from the user terminal 100 in the first network environment, then generate a charging progress control signal and transmit it to the charger 200.

At this time, the external charging server 300 may perform user authentication using the token included in the charging request information, and when user authentication is completed, generate a charging progress control signal and transmit it to the charger 200.

The charging progress control signal may include a release signal for unlocking the charger 200 and a signal regarding the charging amount included in the charging request information, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

As another example, the external charging server 300 may receive and store charging result information from the charging application 100a and/or the charger 200 after completion of charging the electric vehicle 150 through the charger 200 in the first network environment. You can.

At this time, when the external charging server 300 receives charging result information from the charging application 100a, it may transmit a confirmation signal that the charging result information has been received and stored to the corresponding charging application 100a. Alternatively, when the external charging server 300 receives charging result information from the charger 200, it may transmit a control signal related to cleaning data stored in the charger 200. Transmission of confirmation signals and control signals of the external charging server 300 will be described later.

The charger 200 may refer to a device that charges the user's electric vehicle 150.

The charger 200 may include a fast charger, a slow charger, a portable charger, etc. that can charge the electric vehicle 150. At this time, the charger may be connected to various charging outlets capable of supplying power or a power supply means including a power supply tap.

The charger 200 can communicate with the user terminal 100 using Bluetooth technology, and can communicate with the external charging server 300 in a first network environment using 3G mobile communication technology, 4G mobile communication technology (LTE), and 5G mobile communication technology. You can communicate using, etc.

In some examples, the charger 200 may provide power to the electric vehicle 150 by communicating with the user terminal 100 and the external charging server 300 in a first network environment.

First, the charger 200 may transmit a Bluetooth signal to the user terminal 100. Subsequently, when the user terminal 100 transmits charging request information to the external charging server 300 and the external charging server 300 transmits a charging progress control signal to the charger 200, the charger 200 controls the charging progress. The electric vehicle 150 can be charged according to the signal. Subsequently, the charger 200 may transmit the generated charging result information to the user terminal 100 through Bluetooth communication or provide it to the external charging server 300 through a communication network such as LTE.

As some other examples, the charger 200 may provide power to the electric vehicle by communicating with the user terminal 100 in a second network environment.

First, the charger 200 may transmit a Bluetooth signal to the user terminal 100.

Subsequently, when charging request information is received from the user terminal 100, the charger 200 may perform user authentication for the corresponding user. At this time, the charger 200 may perform user authentication based on a comparison result between the token stored in the internal database and the token included in the charging request information.

Additionally, when user authentication is completed, the charger 200 may unlock the charging lock device so that the user can start charging the electric vehicle 150.

Subsequently, when charging is completed, the charger 200 may generate charging result information and store the generated charging result information in a database inside the charger 200. The stored charging result information may then be shared with the user terminal 100 and/or the external charging server 300, and correspondingly, the charging result information stored in the database within the charger 200 may be cleaned.

The operation method of the charger 200 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a charger according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the charger 200 may include a Bluetooth communication module 210, a user authentication module 220, a charging module 230, and a local database module 240.

The Bluetooth communication module 210 can perform Bluetooth communication with the user terminal 100.

In some examples, the Bluetooth communication module 210 may transmit a Bluetooth signal (hereinafter referred to as “BS”) to the user terminal 100.

The Bluetooth signal (BS) may be a BLE signal, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. At this time, the connection mode of the BLE signal may be advertising mode, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Advertising mode may refer to a mode that unilaterally sends a signal to all nearby devices without specifying a specific device.

In other words, the Bluetooth communication module 210 can transmit a BLE advertising signal to the user terminal 100, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

At this time, the user terminal 100 and the Bluetooth communication module 210 of the charger 200 are connected through a BLE advertising signal, among other Bluetooth signals, which has the effect of minimizing battery use of the user terminal 100. . That is, rather than the user terminal 100 and the charger 200 transmitting a Bluetooth signal (BS) to each other, the charger 200 unilaterally transmits a unidirectional Bluetooth signal (BS) to the user terminal 100, Battery usage of the user terminal 100 can be reduced.

At this time, as described above, the Bluetooth signal BS may include information about the charger UUID and charger ID of the charger 200, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

In some examples, the Bluetooth communication module 210 may transmit a Bluetooth signal (BS) when the user terminal 100 approaches within a predetermined distance from the charger 200. The process by which the Bluetooth communication module 210 transmits a Bluetooth signal will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3.

Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram to explain how a user terminal approaches a charger and the charger transmits a Bluetooth signal.

Referring to Figure 3, in Figure 3, the first user terminal 101, the first electric vehicle 151 corresponding to the first user terminal 101, the second user terminal 102, and the second user terminal 102. A corresponding second electric vehicle 152 and charger 200 are shown.

2 and 3, the Bluetooth communication module 210 of the charger 200 transmits a Bluetooth signal (BS) when the user terminals 101 and 102 approach the Bluetooth signal region (BSR) of the charger 200. You can.

The Bluetooth signal area (BSR) may include an area within a predetermined distance from the charger 200. In Figure 3, the Bluetooth signal area (BSR) is shown as a circular area with a predetermined distance (R) from the charger 200, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

In Figure 3, the first user terminal 101 and the first electric vehicle 151 are not included in the Bluetooth signal region (BSR) of the charger 200, and the second user terminal 102 and the second electric vehicle are not included in the Bluetooth signal area (BSR) of the charger 200. In the case of (152), it is shown as being included in the Bluetooth signal region (BSR).

At this time, the Bluetooth communication module 210 of the charger 200 may transmit a Bluetooth signal (BS) to the second user terminal 102 included in the Bluetooth signal region (BSR). As described above, the Bluetooth signal BS may be a BLE advertising signal and may include the charger UUID and charger ID of the charger 200, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Thereafter, the user terminal 102 may generate charging request information based on the received Bluetooth signal.

However, the process by which the charger 200 transmits the Bluetooth signal (BS) is not limited to what is shown in FIG. 3.

For example, the Bluetooth communication module 210 of the charger 200 sets a region of interest among the Bluetooth signal regions (BSR), and then, when the electric vehicle 150 enters the region of interest, the user terminal of the electric vehicle 150 A Bluetooth signal can also be transmitted to (100). At this time, the area of interest may be arbitrarily determined from the Bluetooth signal region (BSR) or may be determined by the manager of the charger 200 and/or the charging server 300. In some examples, the region of interest may be in the shape of a circle, ellipse, polygon (triangle, square, pentagon, etc.), but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2 , as another example, the Bluetooth communication module 210 may receive charge appeal information (hereinafter referred to as “CAI”) from the user terminal 100.

At this time, the Bluetooth communication module 210 may receive charging request information (CAI) based on Bluetooth communication.

As described above, the charging request information (CAI) may include the charging amount, user authentication information, charger UUID, and charger ID. The charging amount may be directly input by the user every time charging, a specific value set and stored by the user, or a value predetermined by the external charging server 300, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. The user authentication information may include a token issued upon user registration and stored in the charging application 100a, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

The user authentication module 220 may perform user authentication for the user based on charging request information (CAI) in the second network environment.

In some examples, the user authentication module 220 may perform user authentication based on a comparison result between a token stored in a database inside the charger 200 and a token included in the charging request information. At this time, the token stored in the database inside the charger 200 may be received from the external charging server 300 in the first network environment. For example, the user authentication module 220 may determine that user authentication is complete when the token stored in the database inside the charger 200 matches the token included in the charging request information. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this. no.

As some other examples, the user authentication module 220 may perform user authentication based on the validity of the token included in the charging request information (CAI). For example, the user authentication module 220 determines that user authentication has not been completed if the charging request information (CAI) does not include a token, the originality of the token has been damaged, or the validity period of the token has expired. You can. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

The user authentication process using the token of the user authentication module 220 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4.

Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining user authentication in the electric vehicle charging process when users drive different vehicles at different times.

Referring to FIG. 4, the user authentication process is shown in the case where the same user charges different vehicles (153a to 153d) through the same user terminal 103 at different times (T1 to T4). . That is, FIG. 4 shows a case where, even though the vehicles 153a to 153d at each time point (T1 to T4) are different from each other, the user terminal 103 of the user driving each vehicle (153a to 153d) is the same.

Referring to FIG. 4, the user authentication module 220 can perform common user authentication through authentication of the token (TOK) stored in the corresponding user terminal 103 even if the user drives a plurality of different vehicles.

In general, the same user usually carries the same user terminal (103, e.g., smartphone), and in this case, when the user charges while driving a different type of vehicle, the electric vehicle charging system (1) of the present invention ), the separate membership registration process or authentication process can be omitted or simplified.

That is, as described above, a typical electric vehicle charging system often authenticates the user through the electric vehicle itself rather than the user terminal. In this case, there is the inconvenience of having to go through a separate membership registration process for each electric vehicle in order to charge the electric vehicle.

However, in the case of the electric vehicle charging system 1 of the present invention, a method of authenticating a token (TOK) stored in the user terminal is adopted rather than authenticating the vehicle, resulting in inconveniences such as a separate membership registration process for each vehicle. This has the effect of being reduced.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the user authentication module 220 may transmit a charging progress control signal (hereinafter referred to as “CPS”) to the charging module 230 when user authentication is completed. , Conversely, if user authentication is not completed, a non-charging control signal (No Charging Signal, hereinafter referred to as “NCS”) may be transmitted to the charging module 230.

In some examples, the charging progress control signal (CPS) may include a release signal for unlocking the charger 200 and a signal regarding the charging amount included in the charging request information (CAI), but according to the present invention The embodiment is not limited to this. The non-charging control signal (NCS) may refer to a signal that maintains the locked state of the charging lock device of the charger 200.

The charging module 230 may provide power to the electric vehicle 150. The charging module 230 is a module that actually charges the electric vehicle 150, and may include detailed configuration for power supply, such as a connector, a power conversion device, and a converter.

In some examples, the charging module 230 may charge the electric vehicle 150 when a charging progress control signal (CPS) is received from the user authentication module 220 in the second network environment.

As some other examples, the charging module 230 may charge the electric vehicle 150 when a charging progress control signal (CPS) is received from the external charging server 300 in the first network environment.

When charging is completed, the charging module 230 may generate charging result information (CRI). As described above, the charging result information (CRI) includes the charging start time, charging end time, the amount of charge charged to the electric vehicle 150, the usage fee corresponding to the amount of charge, the charger UUID of the charger 200 that performed the charge, and the charger It may include an ID, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

The local database module 240 may store the generated charging result information (CRI). The local database module 240 may transmit charging result information (CRI) to the Bluetooth communication module 210 and/or the external charging server communication module.

Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram schematically explaining the electric vehicle charging process in a second network environment. Figure 5 shows the process of supplying power to the electric vehicle 150 in the second network environment.

First, the charger 200 may transmit a Bluetooth signal (BS) to the charging application 100a of the user terminal 100 (S01).

At this time, the Bluetooth signal (BS) may be a BLE advertising signal or a signal including information about the charger ID and charger UUID, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

Subsequently, the charging application 100a of the user terminal 100 may generate charging request information (CAI) and transmit the generated charging request information (CAI) to the charger 200 (S02).

At this time, the charging request information (CAI) may include the charging amount, user authentication information, etc., as described above. The charging amount may be directly input by the user every time charging, a specific value set and stored by the user, or a value predetermined by the external charging server 300, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. The user authentication information may include a token issued upon user registration and stored in the charging application 100a, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

At this time, the charger 200 may perform user authentication based on charging request information (CAI). In some examples, the charger 200 may perform user authentication based on a comparison result between a token stored in a database within the charger 200 and a token included in the charging request information. When user authentication is completed, the charger 200 may generate a charging progress control signal.

Next, when the charging progress control signal is generated, the charger 200 can supply power to the electric vehicle 150 (S03).

Next, the charger 200 may generate charging result information and store the generated charging result information (S04). At this time, the generated charging result information may be stored in a database inside the charger 200. The database inside the charger 200 may include the local database module of FIG. 2.

Figure 6 is a block diagram of a charger according to some other embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the charger 200 has an external external module in addition to the Bluetooth communication module 210, user authentication module 220, charging module 230, and local database module 240 described above in FIG. 2. It may further include a charging server communication module 250 and a cleaning module 260. The description below excludes overlapping content.

Charging result information (CRI) stored in the local database module 240 may be transmitted to the Bluetooth communication module 210 and/or the external charging server communication module 250.

At this time, the Bluetooth communication module 210 and the external charging server communication module 250 may share the received charging result information (CRI) with the user terminal 100 and/or the external charging server 300.

The external charging server communication module 250 may communicate with the external charging server 300 in the first network environment. At this time, the external charging server communication module 250 may exchange data with the external charging server 300 using 3G communication, 4G communication, and 5G communication in the first network environment.

In some examples, the external charging server communication module 250 receives charging result information (CRI) from the local database module 240 and sends the received charging result information (CRI) to the external charging server 300 in the first network environment. Can be transmitted.

As some other examples, although not shown in FIG. 6, the external charging server communication module 250 receives the charging progress control signal (CPS) from the external charging server 300 in the first network environment and transmits it to the charging module 230. It may be possible.

As described above, the charging result information (CRI) stored in the local database module 240 may be transmitted to the Bluetooth communication module 210 and/or the external charging server communication module 250, and the Bluetooth communication module 210 and The external charging server communication module 250 may share the received charging result information (CRI) with other components other than the charger 200 in the electric vehicle charging system 1.

At this time, the Bluetooth communication module 210 and the external charging server communication module 250 may transmit charging result information (CRI) using different communication methods, and the targets to which the charging result information (CRI) will be transmitted may be different. You can.

Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given with further reference to FIG. 7.

Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a process of storing charging result information in a server according to some embodiments of the present invention. In FIG. 7 , to illustrate the intermittent limitation of server communication, as in FIG. 1 , communication (e.g., Bluetooth communication) between the user terminal 100 and the charger 200 is indicated by a solid line, and the external charging server 300 and the user terminal 100 are shown in FIG. ) and the server communication between the external charging server 300 and the charger 200 are shown in dotted lines.

Referring to FIG. 7, the charging result information (CRI) generated by the charging module 230 may be stored in the local database module 240, and then the local database module 240 transmits the charging result information (CRI) through Bluetooth communication. It may be transmitted to the module 210 and/or the external charging server communication module 250.

Figure 7 shows a process in which the local database module 240 transmits charging result information (CRI) to both the Bluetooth communication module 210 and the external charging server communication module 250. However, the embodiment of the present invention is limited thereto. That is not the case. For example, the local database module 240 may transmit charging result information (CRI) to only one of the Bluetooth communication module 210 and the external charging server communication module 250.

The Bluetooth communication module 210 may transmit the received charging result information (CRI) to the user terminal 100. At this time, the Bluetooth communication module 210 may transmit charging result information (CRI) to the user terminal 100 based on Bluetooth communication. At this time, Bluetooth communication may be BLE communication, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

The user terminal 100 may transmit charging result information (CRI) received from the Bluetooth communication module 210 to the external charging server 300. At this time, the user terminal 100 serves as a proxy that transmits the charging result information (CRI) received using Bluetooth communication from the charger 200 in the second network environment to the external charging server 300 in the first network environment. It can be done.

The external charging server communication module 250 may transmit charging result information (CRI) to the external charging server 300 in the first network environment. At this time, the external charging server communication module 250 may transmit charging result information (CRI) using communication technology such as LTE, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 6 , the cleaning module 260 may clean the charging result information (CRI) stored in the local database module 240 .

In some examples, the cleaning module 260 may clean the charging result information (CRI) stored in the local database module 240 by transmitting a cleaning signal (CS) to the local database module 240.

At this time, the cleaning module 260 generates a cleaning signal (CS) based on the control signal received in response to the transmission of charging result information (CRI) from the Bluetooth communication module 210 and/or the external charging server communication module 250. and can be transmitted.

Thereafter, when the cleaning signal CS is received, the local database module 240 may delete the corresponding charging result information CRI.

Hereinafter, the generation process of the cleaning signal CS will be described in more detail with further reference to FIG. 8.

Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining cleaning signals according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 8, the Bluetooth communication module 210 and the external charging server communication module 250 may share the charging result information (CRI) received from the local database module 240 to the outside. According to the sharing process, the cleaning module 260 may receive control signals (RS1 and RS2). At this time, the control signals RS1 and RS2 may be generated by the user terminal 100 and the external charging server 300, respectively.

In some examples, when the Bluetooth communication module 210 receives charging result information (CRI) from the local database module 240 and transmits it to the user terminal 100, the user terminal 100 generates a first control signal (RS1). This can be transmitted to the cleaning module 260.

At this time, the user terminal 100 transmits the received charging result information (CRI) to the external charging server 300 and generates a first control signal (RS1) after receiving a confirmation signal from the external charging server 300. This can be transmitted to the cleaning module 260. At this time, the confirmation signal may include a signal indicating that the external charging server 300 has received and stored the charging result information (CRI).

At this time, the electric vehicle charging system 1 of the present invention has the effect of preventing loss of charging data by performing a cleaning process through a confirmation signal from the external charging server 300.

Similarly, when the external charging server communication module 250 receives charging result information (CRI) from the local database module 240 and transmits it to the external charging server 300, in response, the external charging server 300 2 A control signal (RS2) can be generated and transmitted to the cleaning module 260.

Subsequently, the cleaning module 260 may generate a cleaning signal CS based on the received first control signal RS1 and/or the second control signal RS2. The generated cleaning signal CS may be transmitted to the local database module 240.

In some examples, the cleaning signal (CS) is the charging result information (CRI) transmitted to the user terminal 100 through the Bluetooth communication module 210 and/or the external charging server 300 through the external charging server communication module 250. It may refer to a signal that controls the deletion of the charging result information (CRI) transmitted from the local database module 240.

Through this cleaning process, the charger 200 of the present invention has the effect of solving the problem of insufficient memory capacity of the charger that may occur during the electric vehicle charging process through local authentication. In addition, rather than deleting the stored charging result information at a predetermined period, the cleaning process is performed only when the data is transmitted to the user terminal or external charging server and backed up, thereby preventing damage and damage to data related to electric vehicle charging. .

Figure 9 is a flowchart of an electric vehicle charging method according to some embodiments of the present invention. The electric vehicle charging method of FIG. 9 may be performed by the user terminal 100, charger 200, and/or external charging server 300, which are each component of the electric vehicle charging system 1 of FIG. 1. Below is a brief description, excluding duplicate content.

First, the charger can transmit a Bluetooth signal to the user terminal (S100).

At this time, the Bluetooth signal may be a BLE advertising signal or a signal containing information about the charger ID, charger UUID, etc. Detailed explanation is omitted.

Subsequently, the user terminal may transmit charging request information to the charger based on the received Bluetooth signal (S110).

At this time, the charging request information may include charging amount, user authentication information, etc. The charging amount may be directly input by the user each time charging, a specific value set and stored by the user, or a predetermined value by an external charging server, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. The user authentication information may include a token issued upon user registration and stored in the charging application, but embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

Subsequently, the charger may proceed with charging based on the charging request information received from the user terminal (S120).

At this time, the charger may perform user authentication based on charging request information. In some examples, the charger may perform user authentication based on a comparison result between a token stored in a database inside the charger and a token included in the charging request information. When user authentication is completed, the charger may generate a charging progress control signal.

Power may be supplied to the electric vehicle according to the generated charging progress control signal and the user's manipulation.

Subsequently, the charger may generate and store charging result information (S130).

Charging result information may include charging start time, charging end time, charge amount charged to the electric vehicle, usage fee corresponding to the charge amount, charger UUID and charger ID of the charger that performed charging, but embodiments of the present invention are limited thereto. It doesn't work.

Charging result information can be stored in a database inside the charger. The database inside the charger may include the local database module of FIG. 2.

Figure 10 is a flowchart of an electric vehicle charging method including a user authentication procedure according to some embodiments of the present invention. The electric vehicle charging method of FIG. 10 may be performed by the user terminal 100, charger 200, and/or external charging server 300, which are each component of the electric vehicle charging system 1 of FIG. 1. Below is a brief description, excluding duplicate content.

First, the charger can transmit a Bluetooth signal to the user terminal (S100). Subsequently, the user terminal may transmit charging request information to the charger based on the received Bluetooth signal (S110). Subsequently, the charger may proceed with charging based on the charging request information received from the user terminal (S120). Subsequently, the charger may generate and store charging result information (S130).

Steps S100 to S130 were described above in FIG. 9 and are omitted here.

Subsequently, the charger can share the generated charging result information with the outside (S140).

In some examples, the Bluetooth communication module of the charger may receive charging result information from the local database module and transmit it to the user terminal.

At this time, the Bluetooth communication module can transmit charging result information to the user terminal using Bluetooth communication. The user terminal may transmit charging result information received from the Bluetooth communication module to an external charging server. At this time, the user terminal may transmit charging result information to an external charging server in the first network environment, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

As some other examples, the external charging server communication module of the charger may receive charging result information from the local database module and transmit it to the external charging server. At this time, the external charging server communication module can transmit charging result information to the user terminal using LTE communication, etc.

Next, the charger can clean the stored charging result information (S150).

For example, the charger may delete the charging result information stored in the local database module in response to the charging result information being transmitted to the user terminal and/or an external charging server.

In some examples, when the charger transmits charging result information to the user terminal, the user terminal may generate a first control signal and transmit it to the charger. At this time, the user terminal may generate a first control signal after transmitting the received charging result information to the external charging server and receiving a confirmation signal that the charging result information has been received and stored from the external charging server.

Similarly, when the charger transmits charging result information to the external charging server, the external charging server may generate a second control signal in response and transmit it to the cleaning module.

The charger may clean the charging result information stored in the charger based on the first control signal and/or the second control signal received in this way.

The above description is merely an illustrative explanation of the technical idea of the present embodiment, and those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. Accordingly, the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present embodiment, but rather to explain it, and the scope of the technical idea of the present embodiment is not limited by these examples. The scope of protection of this embodiment should be interpreted in accordance with the claims below, and all technical ideas within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of this embodiment.

Claims (10)

In an electric vehicle charging system including a user terminal capable of communicating with each other, an external charging server, and a charger,
A user terminal that generates charging request information based on Bluetooth communication with the charger;
an external charging server that generates a charging progress control signal based on the charging request information; and
A charger that provides power to the electric vehicle based on the charging progress control signal,
In a network environment where communication between the external charging server, the user terminal, and the charger is disconnected, the user terminal transmits the charging request information to the charger through the Bluetooth communication, and the charger transmits the charging request information to the charger based on the charging request information. An electric vehicle charging system that generates a charging progress control signal.
According to claim 1,
The charger is an electric vehicle charging system including at least one of a fast charger and a slow charger.
According to claim 1,
A network environment in which communication between the external charging server and the charger is cut off includes an uncovered range of 3G mobile communication technology, 4G mobile communication technology (Long Term Evolution, LTE), and 5G mobile communication technology.
According to claim 1,
The charger transmits a Bluetooth signal when the user terminal approaches within a predetermined distance from the charger,
The user terminal is an electric vehicle charging system that generates the charging request information based on a Bluetooth signal received from the charger.
According to clause 4,
The Bluetooth signal is,
It is a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) signal and includes the charger UUID and charger ID of the charger that transmitted the Bluetooth signal,
The charging request information is,
An electric vehicle charging system including at least one of a charging amount, user authentication information, the charger UUID, and a charger ID.
According to claim 1,
The charger is,
A Bluetooth communication module that communicates with the user terminal using the Bluetooth communication,
a user authentication module that performs user authentication and generates the charging progress control signal;
a charging module that charges the electric vehicle according to the charging progress control signal and generates charging result information;
An electric vehicle charging system including a local database module that stores the generated charging result information.
According to clause 6,
The Bluetooth communication module transmits the charging result information stored in the local database module to the user terminal through the Bluetooth communication,
The charger is,
An external charging server communication module that transmits the charging result information stored in the local database module to the external charging server in a network environment where communication between the external charging server and the charger is smooth;
The electric vehicle charging system further includes a cleaning module that cleans the charging result information stored in the local database module.
According to clause 7,
The cleaning module is,
Transmitting a cleaning signal to the local database module based on at least one of a first control signal received from the user terminal and a second control signal received from the external charging server,
The first control signal is generated in response to the Bluetooth communication module transmitting the charging result information to the user terminal,
The second control signal is generated in response to the external charging server communication module transmitting the charging result information to the external charging server.
In the electric vehicle charging method using an electric vehicle charging system including a user terminal capable of communicating with each other, an external charging server, and a charger,
In a network environment where communication between the external charging server, the user terminal, and the charger is disconnected,
The charger transmitting a Bluetooth signal to the user terminal;
The user terminal generates charging request information based on the received Bluetooth signal and transmits it to the charger; and
An electric vehicle charging method comprising the step of the charger providing power to the electric vehicle based on the charging request information to generate charging result information.
According to clause 8,
storing the generated charging result information by the local database module of the charger;
Transmitting the charging result information generated by the charger to at least one of the user terminal and the external charging server; and
An electric vehicle charging method further comprising the step of cleaning, by the charger, the charging result information stored in the local database module.

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