Method for detecting profiles of charging currents

Abstract

A method for detecting charging current curves for electric vehicles at charging stations. In the method, a charging current curve is captured at a charging station, and the charging current curve is stored together with a vehicle identification of the charging vehicle. For each respective vehicle identification, a charging current curve at a plurality of charging stations is stored, and for the respective vehicle identification, a present charging current curve can be compared with the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations. In the event of a deviation of the present charging current curve from the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations which is greater than a threshold, a signal is output.

Claims

1. A method for capturing charging current curves for electric vehicles at charging stations comprising: capturing of a charging current curve at a charging station by the charging station, storing of the charging current curve together with a vehicle identification of the charging vehicle in a memory of the charging station, wherein for each vehicle identification a charging current curve at a plurality of charging stations is stored, and for the respective vehicle identification, the charging station compares a present charging current curve with the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations and in case of a deviation of the present charging current curve from the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations which is greater than a threshold, the charging station outputs a signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein for a plurality of charging stations, respective charging current curves are stored together with a vehicle identification of the charging vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein charging current curves for a plurality of vehicle identifications are stored in each of a plurality of charging stations.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a present charging current curve is compared with stored charging current curves for the respective vehicle identification.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a present charging current curve is compared with stored charging current curves at the respective charging station with different vehicle identifications.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a charging current characterizing the vehicle is calculated for each respective vehicle identification from the stored charging current curves at different charging stations.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal is output if a deviation of the present charging current curve from the charging current curve characterizing the vehicle is above a threshold.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a charging current characterizing the charging station is calculated for each respective charging station from the stored charging currents curves with different vehicle identifications.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the charging current curve characterizing the vehicle is calculated as an average value of the stored charging current curves for the vehicle identification, and/or wherein the charging current curve characterizing the charging station is calculated as an average value of the stored curves of charging currents for the charging station.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein for in each charging station, the charging current curves with different vehicle identifications are compared with a present curve of a charging current for a vehicle identification depending on the signal.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a temperature is stored together with the charging current curve, and charging current curves in a temperature range are assigned to one another, and/or wherein information about a cable set is stored together with the charging current curve, and charging currents curves with corresponding cable sets are associated with one another.

12. A method for capturing charging current curves for electric vehicles at charging stations comprising: capturing of a charging current curve at a charging station using a smartmeter of the charging station, storing of the charging current curve together with a vehicle identification of the charging vehicle in the smartmeter, wherein for each vehicle identification a charging current curve at a plurality of charging stations is stored, and for the respective vehicle identification, the smartmeter compares a present charging current curve with the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations and in case of a deviation of the present charging current curve from the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations which is greater than a threshold, the smartmeter outputs a signal.

13. A method for detecting a defective smartmeter of a charging station for electric vehicles comprising: capturing of a charging current curve at a charging station, storing of the charging current curve together with a vehicle identification of the charging vehicle, wherein for each vehicle identification a charging current curve at a plurality of charging stations is stored, and for the respective vehicle identification, a present charging current curve is compared with the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations and in case of a deviation of the present charging current curve from the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations which is greater than a threshold, a signal is output.

14. A method for capturing charging current curves for electric vehicles at a plurality of charging stations, each charging station of the plurality of charging stations being in communication with a central computer and each charging station of the plurality of charging stations comprising a smartmeter, the method comprising: capturing of a charging current curve at a charging station, storing of the charging current curve together with a vehicle identification of the charging vehicle, wherein for each vehicle identification a charging current curve at a plurality of charging stations is stored, and for the respective vehicle identification, a present charging current curve is compared with the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations and in case of a deviation of the present charging current curve from the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations which is greater than a threshold, a signal is output.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the object is explained in more detail using a drawing showing embodiments. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic structure of a system for carrying out the method according to the subject-matter;

(3) FIGS. 2a-d are different charging current curves at different charging stations for one respective vehicle identification;

(4) FIGS. 3a-d are different charging current curves at a charging station by different vehicles;

(5) FIGS. 4a,b are comparisons of present charging currents with a charging current characterizing the vehicle; and

(6) FIGS. 5a,b are comparisons of a present charging current curve with charging current curves characterizing the charging station.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows a system with charging stations 2a-c, a wide area network 4, a central backend 6 as well as three vehicles 8a, b, c.

(8) If one of the vehicles charges 8a, b, c at one of the charging stations 2a-c, the charging station 2a-c continuously measures the charging current and records the amount of energy drawn. Both the curve of the charging current and the amount of energy, recorded in one of the 2a-c charging stations, are transmitted to the backend 6 via the wide area network 4. Together with this transmission, at least one piece of information relating to a vehicle identification and one piece of vehicle information relating to a charging station identification are transmitted.

(9) In the vehicles 8a, b, c is an identification stored respectively which is communicated to charging station 2a-c at the start, during and/or at the end of a charging process. Thereby the charging process can be unambiguously associated to one of the vehicles 8a, b, c. The vehicle identifications of vehicles 8a, b, c differ from each other and, in particular, the vehicle identifications are unambiguous.

(10) The same applies to the charging station identifications. Each charging station 2a-c may have a unique identification which distinguishes charging station 2a-c from the other charging stations 2a-c.

(11) The charging currents are transmitted in particular as series of measured values with equidistant time intervals.

(12) Backend 6 thus has a set 10 of charging current curves. Using the vehicle identification on the one hand, it is possible to filter a set 12 from this set 10, which is to be associated with a specific vehicle in each case. Using a charging station identification, it is possible to filter a set 14 from the set 10, which contains the curves of the charging currents originating from a particular charging station.

(13) FIGS. 2a-c show, for example, charging current curves from set 12.

(14) For example, FIG. 2a shows a first curve 16a of a charging current of a vehicle 8a. This curve 16a can, for example, be recorded at the charging station 2a. It can be seen that curve 16a can be recorded as a series of equidistant, discrete values 18.

(15) FIG. 2a also shows, for example, that if a lower limit value of 20 is reached, the discrete values 18 are determined at equal time intervals. The discrete values 18 are transmitted via the wide area network 4 from the charging station 2a to the backend 16.

(16) FIG. 2b shows a charging process carried out by vehicle 8a at charging station 2b, for example. This can be curve 16b. It can also be seen here that this curve 16b can be represented by discrete values 18 which are equidistant to each other. In curve 16b as shown in FIG. 2b, it can be seen that the charging process was shorter and, in particular, started at a lower current intensity. This may be due, for example, to the fact that vehicle 8a was already partially charged at charging station 2b at the start of the charging process.

(17) Finally, FIG. 2c shows a curve 16c of a charging process of vehicle 8a at charging station 2c. It can also be seen here that equidistant discrete values 18 are determined from the curve 16c. In this curve 16c, for example, the vehicle was connected to charging station 2c with an almost empty battery, but disconnected before charging was completed.

(18) FIG. 2d shows a 16d curve of the charging current characterizing the vehicle. This can be determined by interpolating the 16a-c curves stored in set 12. This curve 16d can also be formed from discrete values 18 as a series. Using all or a large number of 16a-c curves stored in set 12 for the vehicle 8a, for example, the 16d curve characterizing the vehicle can be calculated.

(19) It is also possible for different vehicles to charge 8a-c at one and the same charging station 2a. This is shown as an example in FIGS. 3a-c.

(20) FIGS. 3a-c show, for example, charging currents from set 14.

(21) FIG. 3a shows a curve 22a of a charging process of vehicle 8a at charging station 2a. Again, discrete values 18 are captured equidistantly to each other. The curve 22a can be contained in the backend 6 in the set 10. Using the charging station identification of charging station 2a, this curve 22a can be assigned to set 14, which also applies to the following set 22b and c.

(22) FIG. 3b shows a curve 22b of a charging current which is generated by vehicle 8b while charging at charging station 2a. Here again, the discrete values 18 are captured as a series.

(23) Finally, FIG. 3c shows a curve 22c of a charging process in which the vehicle 8c charges at charging station 2a.

(24) The curves of the charging currents 22a-c have thus all been recorded at charging station 2a and come from different vehicles 8a-c, for example. Using these different curves of charging currents 22a-c, it is possible to calculate the curve 22d characterizing the charging station as shown in FIG. 3d. This curve 22d can, for example, be calculated by interpolating the discrete values 18 of the curves 22a-c. The following table shows the characteristic curve 22d of the charging station. Mean values or the like can also be calculated.

(25) The curves are created from the time as a basis and the charging power as measuring points. The characteristic of a curve can be determined by its max/min values and the time in between. With comparable underlying conditions (charging quantity, weather, station, cable, . . . ) comparable curves (e.g. start charging power, max. charging power, preservation power, charging duration from point A to B) result. In the case of partial chargings, there are partial segments or a non-characteristic partial charging is not statistically taken into account.

(26) FIG. 4a shows an example of the comparison of a current curve of a charging current 24 with the curve of the charging current 16d characterising the vehicle. The current curve 24, for example, comes from vehicle 2a at one of the 2a-c charging stations. It can be seen that the deviation is small and in this case it can be assumed that the charging station measured the charging process correctly.

(27) FIG. 4b shows a comparison of a present curve of charging current 24 with the curve 16d characterizing the vehicle. The curve of charging current 24 comes from a current charging of vehicle 8a at one of the 2a-c charging stations. A considerable deviation can be seen between the curve 16d characterizing the vehicle and the current curve 24. This deviation can cause the output of a signal.

(28) It is proposed that a charging curve is represented as a vector image. The max/min values and their linear time reference can be stored as a vector. A comparable 30 min charging process has comparable min/max values and time intervals under the same conditions.

(29) FIG. 5a shows the comparison of the curve of the charging current 24 of FIG. 4b with the curve of the charging current 22d characterising the charging station. It can be seen that the two curves 22d, 24 differ considerably from each other. This means that vehicle 8a at charging station 2a has a charging curve that differs from the previous charging process. This may indicate that it is not charging station 2a that is defective, but vehicle 8a.

(30) FIG. 5b shows a comparison of curve 24 with curve 22. Here it can be seen that the two curves are almost identical.

(31) If the charging curve of the vehicle 8a deviates from the curve 16d characterising the vehicle according to FIG. 4b and it is afterwards determined that this deviation is not due to the vehicle, since curve 24 of curve 22d is almost identical, it can be concluded that the present charging station is defective.

(32) All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

(33) The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

(34) Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.