Management of charging of electric vehicle, corresponding charging terminal and corresponding charging management server

Abstract

The invention relates to management of charging of an electric vehicle (10) via a charging terminal (14). According to the invention, the method for managing the charging comprises the following steps:-connecting (E1) a charging cable (13) between the electric vehicle and the charging terminal; -said charging terminal receiving (E5) authentication data relating to said electric vehicle; -upon the end of the control (E6) of the authentication data, the charging terminal triggers the charging if the authentication data is related to a second user which is different from the first user and which authorizes the execution of the charging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The field of the invention is that of managing the charging of electric vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to monitoring the power consumption resulting from such charging, in particular, but not exclusively, in the case of professional electric vehicles being charged by their users in their homes. Background Art

[0002] As part of COP 21 (the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), an international climate agreement applicable to 196 signatory countries came into force on December 12, 2015. The aim of this international agreement is to limit global warming to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius by 2100.

[0003] Following the agreement, France enacted the Tertiary Sector Decree in 2019: it constitutes a regulatory obligation that imposes energy conservation obligations on operators in the tertiary sector and requires them to gradually reduce their energy consumption by 40% in 2030, 50% in 2040 and 60% in 2050, relative to a base year.

[0004] While most forecasters assume that our energy consumption will fall by 2050 due to greater energy efficiency, they do predict an increase in the share of electricity in the energy mix. Indeed, if we are to move away from fossil fuels (e.g., gas, coal and oil), we will need to electrify our applications (transport, heating, industry). In France, the electric transport network (Réseau de Transport d' The operator of the RTE estimates that electricity demand will increase by 35% by 2050. At the same time, the cost of producing electricity is expected to rise by about 15%.

[0005] A priori, it seems that this trend in electricity consumption is not driven solely by the trend in heating costs, and that the growing popularity of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles is also playing an important role. In fact, France is the second European country with the most purchases of 100% electric vehicles. Thus, in France, 194,730 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles were sold in 2020, 125,264 more than in 2019, or 180%. 111,000 of these vehicles were electric vehicles (an increase of 159%), while 83,000 were plug-in hybrid vehicles (an increase of 304%).

[0006] As a result, more and more companies are choosing to transfer their fleet of professional internal combustion engine vehicles to pure electric and / or plug-in hybrid fleets. Employees of these companies have to charge their professional vehicles regularly. For this purpose, they can use:

[0007] - Public charging terminals: There are fewer and fewer free public charging terminals;

[0008] - company charging terminals at their workplace;

[0009] - Home charging terminals, currently estimated to cost around 17c / kWh Euro.

[0010] In situations where employees choose to charge their vehicles at home, the question arises whether the company should reimburse the employee for the actual costs of charging such electric or hybrid vehicles for professional use.

[0011] Until now, charging cost simulators have enabled companies and their employees to estimate the cost of charging electric vehicles. However, these simulators can only estimate the electricity consumption generated by charging the battery.

[0012] Furthermore, charging an electric vehicle at home requires the user to make a more or less expensive arrangement. In fact, it is difficult to plug one's electric vehicle into a household socket, which is limited to 10A in France. Therefore, it is necessary to install heavy-duty sockets and / or (Wobao) charging terminal.

[0013] Heavy-duty outlets must be installed by professionals along with the appropriate circuit breakers. Despite the heavy-duty outlets, charging an electric vehicle is still slow.

[0014] The charging terminal is a device dedicated to charging electric vehicles. Model and Supplier( (Legrand), (Schneider), or (Legal energy) cooperation There are as many sockets as there are professional manufacturers, such as the OEM, or even today's car manufacturers, and each has its own technology and a wide range of options. Although it is more expensive to install than a heavy-duty socket, The advantage of charging terminals is that they allow for accelerated charging. This may require users to increase the power of their electric meter. In addition, these charging terminals provide a number of additional features compared to heavy-duty sockets, such as a warning light when the electric vehicle is charging, or or (Bluetooth) connectivity technology for controlling the vehicle's charging from an app on the user's smartphone.

[0015] However, it is expensive for users to charge their vehicles from this type of terminal, as an 11kW terminal consumes as much energy as eleven small electric radiators.

[0016] Until now, it was unclear how companies could reimburse their employees for these expenses, since there was no solution that would enable employers to: on the one hand accurately identify the share of domestic electricity consumption associated with charging professional electric vehicles and, on the other hand, to ensure, in the case of charging from a home charging terminal, that the vehicle involved is indeed a professional vehicle and not the user's personal vehicle.

[0017] If they want their expenses to be reimbursed by their employer, employees owning professional electric vehicles therefore have no other choice than to charge at their workplace or at a public charging terminal where they can prove the amount paid for charging their professional vehicle with a credit card.

[0018] Therefore, there is a need for a technique for managing the charging of electric or hybrid vehicles that does not have all the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, there is a need for such a technique to monitor the power consumption caused by charging a professional electric vehicle at a home charging terminal. There is also a need for such a technique to ensure that the electric vehicle being charged at a home charging terminal is a professional vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0019] In order to respond to this need, the present invention proposes a method for managing the charging of an electric vehicle, wherein the electric vehicle is charged via a home charging terminal of a first user's vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:

[0020] - Connect the charging cable between the electric vehicle and the home charging terminal

[0021] -Home charging terminal receives authentication data of electric vehicle 2

[0022] After taking control of the authentication data, the home charging terminal triggers charging if the authentication data relates to a second user different from the first user and who is authorized to carry out charging.

[0023] The present invention is therefore based on a completely new and creative solution for managing the charging of electric vehicles in a home environment. In fact, the present invention proposes that the condition for triggering the charging of an electric vehicle in a home environment is that the home charging terminal controls the authentication data associated with the vehicle. According to the present invention, charging is authorized when the result of the authentication check indicates that the vehicle belongs to a second user different from the first user and the first user is authorized by the second user to charge the vehicle. Therefore, after the user has connected the charging cable that links the home charging terminal to their vehicle, charging will only start if the charging terminal has been able to check the authentication data of the vehicle. This means that, for example, charging can only be triggered if the charging terminal can check that the vehicle is a vehicle authorized to charge at the terminal (for example, an electric vehicle in a company fleet). This can also make it possible, for example, to identify the vehicle connected to the terminal, so that the vehicle can be associated with the power consumption associated with the charging that is occurring.

[0024] According to a first embodiment, the authentication data of the vehicle is an authentication code associated with the vehicle input by the first user on an input interface associated with the home charging terminal. Such an input interface may be, for example, a digital code panel associated with the home charging terminal: inputting the authentication code on the digital code panel is a condition for triggering the home terminal to charge the electric vehicle. Such a digital code panel is associated with the home charging terminal. The home terminal can be provided to users by the company that employs them and provides them with a professional electric vehicle. As a variant, the input interface can be a touch interface on a screen associated with the charging terminal, or an audio interface associated with the terminal to which the user sends the authentication code as a voice command. Only authorized users of the electric vehicle have the authentication code for triggering the charging, which ensures the charging process via the home charging terminal. The authentication code is associated with the vehicle meaning that it can be unambiguously identified.

[0025] According to the first feature, during the connection of the charging cable, the home charging terminal sends an authentication data request to the charging management server, and the charging management server is capable of generating an authentication code and transmitting the authentication code to the mobile communication terminal of the first user. According to one aspect, the home charging terminal is connected to a gateway for accessing a local communication network, and the gateway is capable of relaying the authentication data request it receives from the home charging terminal to the charging management server via the wide area communication network.

[0026] Such a charging management server is preferably a server of the company to which the electric vehicle to be charged belongs. Upon receiving an authentication data request sent by a home charging terminal and relayed to the charging management server by an access gateway of a local communication network to which the home charging terminal is connected, the charging management server generates an authentication code, which the charging management server sends to the user's mobile terminal, such as a smartphone. As will be seen in more detail later, the request received from the charging terminal may contain an identifier of the charging terminal, for example, in the form of a serial number. This identifier enables the charging management server to identify the user to whom the authentication code is to be sent by querying a company database, which stores in association the authentication codes installed in the employee's home. The charging management server can then generate a charging authorization, which includes an authentication code transmitted to the employee's mobile terminal, an identifier of the home charging terminal, and a data item such as a timestamp associated with the authentication code.

[0027] According to another feature, the home charging terminal is connected to the access gateway according to a communication technology belonging to the group consisting of:

[0028] - technology;

[0029] -Technology that complies with the G.hn standard specified by the International Telecommunication Union in a series of recommendations such as Recommendation G.9960.

[0030] Therefore, the home charging terminal can be connected to the gateway to As a variant, the G.hn plug is used to connect to the home local communication network. Able to communicate with the access gateway via the power network. When the home charging terminal is installed in the basement of the user's home or in the basement parking lot of a building (where The above solution is particularly advantageous when the radio coverage quality may be insufficient.

[0031] According to a second embodiment, the authentication data is transmitted by the electric vehicle to the home charging terminal via the charging cable and includes a unique identification key of the electric vehicle.

[0032] In this second embodiment, the home charging terminal and the electric vehicle therefore exchange a single key when the cable is connected between the car and the home charging terminal. This exchange can be carried out through the charging cable itself. The vehicle's electrical socket then incorporates a communication module dedicated to this information exchange with the home charging terminal. An appropriate software program can be integrated into the electrical socket of the professional vehicle. The communication protocol used will not be described in more detail here, it is not part of the present invention, and it can be any communication protocol suitable for this type of exchange, for example, a V2I (vehicle to infrastructure) communication protocol, or an extension of the CAN bus, or even power line communication.

[0033] According to one aspect, the authentication data also includes a profile of the electric vehicle, the profile including at least some information related to the electric vehicle belonging to a group including:

[0034] -Electric vehicle identifier 2

[0035] - Mileage of electric vehicles;

[0036] - Information item 2 about the status of the electric vehicle

[0037] - Identifier 2 of the first user of the electric vehicle

[0038] - Anomalies detected on electric vehicles.

[0039] Thus, the contextual information associated with the charging of the vehicle can be enriched so as to be subsequently stored by the company's charging management server. In addition, the profile also allows, for example, a home charging terminal to determine whether the connected vehicle is a professional vehicle or a user's personal vehicle.

[0040] Furthermore, it is also conceivable that the home charging terminal sends the following confirmation to the electric vehicle user, on their mobile terminal: the charging will be charged from their private account or from their company's account, depending on the vehicle profile that the charging terminal has collected.

[0041] According to another aspect, the home charging terminal implements authentication of the electric vehicle based on a unique identification key. Such authentication means that charging can be reserved for authenticated vehicles (e.g., vehicles belonging to a company fleet), and thus authenticated vehicles are authorized to use the home charging terminal.

[0042] According to a further aspect, the charging terminal transmits information related to power consumption associated with charging of the vehicle in association with at least some of the information of the electric vehicle profile to the charging management server. For example, in the case where it has been determined that the vehicle is indeed the user's professional vehicle, then The amount of energy used to charge the vehicle is sent to the company's charging management server. The charging management server can then store this information item in association with the information of the electric vehicle profile. The costs associated with this energy consumption can then be charged to the company directly or via an employee reimbursement program.

[0043] The invention also relates to a computer program product comprising program code instructions for implementing the method for managing the charging of an electric vehicle as described above when the program code instructions are executed by a processor.

[0044] The invention also relates to a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored, the computer program comprising program code instructions for implementing the steps of the method for managing the charging of an electric vehicle according to the invention as described above.

[0045] Such storage medium can be any entity or device capable of storing a program. For example, the medium can include a storage device, such as a ROM (such as a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM), or a magnetic recording device, such as a USB flash drive or a hard drive.

[0046] On the other hand, such a storage medium may be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which may be carried via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means, so that the computer program contained therein may be remotely executed. The program according to the invention may in particular be downloaded over a network, for example, the Internet.

[0047] Alternatively, the storage medium may be an integrated circuit having a program embedded therein, the circuit being suitable for executing the above-mentioned display control method or to be used in the execution of the above-mentioned display control method.

[0048] The invention also relates to a home terminal for charging an electric vehicle, comprising a socket for connecting a cable for charging an electric vehicle to the terminal, comprising:

[0049] -Module 2 for receiving authentication data of electric vehicles

[0050] - A module for controlling authentication data configured to activate the triggering of charging by the charging terminal.

[0051] More specifically, such a charging terminal comprises a set of modules, a memory and a processor for implementing the above-mentioned method for charging an electric vehicle. Such a terminal may in particular include an interface (e.g., a digital code panel) for entering an authentication code, or be associated with such an interface. Such a terminal is preferably connected to a gateway for accessing a local communication network via a wired or wireless link, via which the terminal can establish contact with a charging management server present on a wide area communication network to which the gateway is connected.

[0052] The present invention also relates to a method for controlling charging of an electric vehicle implemented by a charging management server, comprising the following steps:

[0053] - receiving a vehicle authentication data request from a home charging terminal to which the electric vehicle is connected, the home charging terminal being arranged in the home of the first user and configured to implement the above-mentioned charging management method;

[0054] - checking whether the vehicle belongs to a second user different from the first user and whether the first user is authorized to charge the vehicle;

[0055] - generating an authentication code and transmitting the authentication code to the mobile communication terminal of the first user.

[0056] As will be seen below, the first user is authorized by the second user to charge the vehicle.

[0057] The invention is therefore based on a new and inventive method for the charging of electric vehicles in a fleet of vehicles controlled, for example, in a company (for example a professional fleet). In fact, the invention proposes to authenticate the vehicle to be charged before authorizing such charging; for this purpose, a charging management server, for example belonging to the company's communication network or connected to the company's communication network, generates an authentication code upon receipt of an authentication request from a charging terminal (for example a home terminal). Such a request includes, for example, an identifier of the charging terminal, which enables the server to identify the user associated with this identifier by querying a dedicated database. After verifying the identity of the user (for example, an employee with a company electric vehicle), the charging management server sends the generated authentication code to the mobile terminal of the user, whose contact details are stored in the database. This code will then allow the user to trigger the charging of their electric vehicle at the charging terminal.

[0058] According to one aspect, the charging management server stores an event log in which the authentication code, the identifier of the charging terminal contained in the authentication data request, and a timestamp data item associated with the request and / or the authentication code are recorded in association. Such a timestamp data item can be associated with the time of receipt of the authentication data request or with the time when the authentication code was generated or transmitted by the server. It allows to indicate the charging time of the electric vehicle and therefore to identify in the user's electricity consumption report the share of charging corresponding to their professional electric vehicles.

[0059] Therefore, according to another aspect, the charging management server sends a request to obtain power consumption associated with charging to a power meter existing on a local communication network to which the charging terminal is connected, the obtaining request containing the time stamp data item.

[0060] The invention also relates to a computer program product comprising program code instructions for implementing the method for controlling the charging of an electric vehicle as described above when the program code instructions are executed by a processor.

[0061] The invention also relates to a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored, the computer program comprising program code instructions for implementing the steps of the method for managing the charging of an electric vehicle according to the invention as described above.

[0062] Such storage medium can be any entity or device capable of storing a program. For example, the medium can include a storage component, such as a ROM (e.g., a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM), or a magnetic recording device, such as a USB flash drive or a hard disk drive.

[0063] On the other hand, such a storage medium may be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which may be carried via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means, so that the computer program contained therein may be remotely executed. The program according to the invention may in particular be downloaded over a network, for example, the Internet.

[0064] Alternatively, the storage medium may be an integrated circuit having a program embedded therein, the circuit being suitable for executing the above-mentioned display control method or to be used in the execution of the above-mentioned display control method.

[0065] Finally, the invention relates to a charging management server for an electric vehicle, comprising a module for receiving an authentication data request from a charging terminal to which the electric vehicle is connected, and a module for generating an authentication code and transmitting the authentication code to a mobile communication terminal of a first user of the vehicle.

[0066] The invention also relates to one, one and a combination having all or some of the features set out throughout this document.

[0067] The above-mentioned corresponding charging terminal, charging management server and computer program have at least the same advantages as those provided by the method for managing charging and for controlling charging of an electric vehicle according to the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a reading of the following description given herein by way of illustrative and non-limiting examples, in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0069] [ Figure 1 ] shows the background of charging an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle via a private charging terminal.

[0070] [ Figure 2] schematically illustrates a technique for managing charging of an electric vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] [ Figure 3 ] schematically illustrates the Figure 2 ] A variation of an embodiment of a technique for managing charging of an electric vehicle;

[0072] [ Figure 4 ] schematically illustrates a technique for managing charging of an electric vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0073] [ Figure 5 ] schematically illustrates the hardware structure of a terminal for charging an electric vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention;

[0074] [ Figure 6 ] schematically shows the hardware structure of the charging management server of an electric vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] The general principle of the invention is based on authenticating an electric vehicle before it is charged at a private charging terminal (e.g. in a home environment) for the purpose of monitoring the power consumption caused by such charging performed by a third-party entity (e.g. by a company that owns the vehicle and employs the user of the vehicle).

[0076] With regard to the accompanying drawings, two main embodiments of the invention are now shown in the context of charging a professional electric vehicle connected to a home charging terminal in the home of a user (given only as an example). The general principles of the technology can be easily extended to the charging of any other type of electric or hybrid vehicle and to any other charging terminal.

[0077] The background is in [ Figure 1 ] is shown in general form, where an electric or hybrid vehicle 10 is equipped with a battery 11 and an on-board charger 12. When charging the battery 11, the user of the vehicle 10 connects a charging cable 13 between the on-board charger 12 and a charging terminal 14. Such a charging terminal 14 is, for example, A device which may have been provided to the user by his employer when the professional electric vehicle was available, or by the vehicle manufacturer when the vehicle was purchased. Such a charging terminal 14 is installed, for example, in the garage or basement of the user's home. The charging terminal is connected to the home electricity network and preferably also to a wired or wireless home local communication network.

[0078] about[ Figure 2], presents a first embodiment in which the charging terminal 14 is equipped with an input interface that enables the user to enter an authentication code, control of which by the charging terminal 14 triggers the charging of the vehicle 10. In [ Figure 2 ], the charging terminal 14 is associated with a digital code panel, both of which are provided, for example, by the company employing the user. An authentication code is therefore required to use the charging terminal. The company can thus ensure that the terminal 14 is only used to charge electric vehicles belonging to its fleet of professional vehicles and not to charge a private vehicle of the user or another member of his family.

[0079] [ Figure 2 ] schematically illustrates the various steps implemented when charging a user's professional electric vehicle 10 via a home charging terminal 14. During a step E1, the user connects the charging cable 13 between their vehicle 10 and the charging terminal 14. During a step E2, upon detecting this connection, the charging terminal transmits a request for the authentication data of the vehicle 10, the verification of which will serve as a condition for the effective triggering of the charging of the vehicle 10. In this example, the charging terminal 14 The wireless link is connected to a local communication network (LAN) and in particular to an access gateway 15, e.g. (Orange), The access gateway 15 also forms an access point to a wide area communication network 16 (e.g. the Internet network). The user's electricity meter 17, e.g. The smart meter is also connected to the local communication network and to the access gateway 15 via a wireless or wired link.

[0080] The authentication data request sent by the terminal 14 comprises an identifier of the terminal, for example its serial number. The request is received by the access gateway 15 and routed (step E3 ) via the wide area communication network 16 to a charging management server 18 for electric vehicles managed by the company that owns the vehicle 10 .

[0081] Upon receiving the request, the charging management server 18 identifies the charging terminal 14 that issued the request by means of an identifier contained in the request, and identifies the employee user in whose home the charging terminal 14 has been installed by querying the company database. If the request has indeed been sent by a charging terminal listed in the library, and the corresponding user is part of the personnel authorized to charge professional electric vehicles at home, the charging management server 18 generates an authentication code, such as a digital code. The charging management server transmits the authentication code to the mobile terminal 19 of the user of the vehicle 10 during step E4. The transmission can be accomplished, for example, by sending an SMS (Short Message Service) over a 4G or 5G radio communication network. The user's mobile terminal 19 is, for example, a smartphone or tablet computer, and can also be a professional device provided by the company.

[0082] When receiving this authentication code on their mobile terminal 19, the user enters it during a step E5 on a digital code panel 20 associated with or integrated into the terminal 14. As a variant, this code may be entered on the touch screen of the terminal 14 or transmitted to the terminal 14 as a voice command.

[0083] During step E6 , the charging terminal 14 controls the authentication code entered by the user by comparing it with the version of this code it has received from the access gateway.

[0084] When this control is completed, the charging terminal 14 releases the charging operation for the vehicle 10 so that the charging operation can be started.

[0085] It should be noted that during the step E4 of generating and transmitting the authentication by the charging management server 18, the charging management server 18 also stores in the event log all the context information associated with this charging of the vehicle 10. This context information may include the authentication data request received from the charging terminal 14, the identifier of the charging terminal contained in the authentication data request, the associated timestamp data item, the identifier of the user associated with the charging terminal 14, the identifier of the vehicle 10, the generated authentication code, etc.

[0086] Additionally, the charging management server 18 may store other information related to the vehicle 10 , such as its mileage, its last charging date, its overall condition, any anomalies detected, etc. This information (e.g., mileage and / or last charging date) may be used to perform additional checks that the vehicle that the user is charging is indeed their professional vehicle and not their personal vehicle or their spouse's vehicle.

[0087] At the end of charging, the charging terminal 14 may send a charging end notification to the server 18 via the access gateway 15. Upon receiving the notification, the server 18 may send a request to the smart meter 17 via the access gateway 15 to obtain the power consumption caused by the charging of the vehicle 10. The request includes, for example, a timestamp data item generated when the server 18 receives the authentication data request, and a timestamp data item generated when the server 18 receives the charging end notification, both of which are stored in association in the event log saved by the server 18. The timestamp data enables the smart meter 17 to identify the start time and end time of the charging of the vehicle 10, and thus transmit the power consumption caused by the charging to the server 18 via the access gateway 15 and the wide area communication network 16.

[0088] Based on the consumption information, the charge management server 18 may determine expense reimbursements to be made for the employee user.

[0089] [ Figure 3 ] shows [ Figure 2 ] in which the various devices present on the local communication network are equipped with G.hn plugs and therefore no longer communicate via Instead, they communicate with each other via wired G.hn technology (as specified by the International Telecommunication Union in a series of recommendations such as Recommendation G.9960). Therefore, the communication between local network devices, and in particular the communication between the charging terminal 14 and the access gateway 15, is carried out via the home power network, or its telephone line, or coaxial cable, or optical fiber. The same device and the same steps are in [ Figure 3 ] in [ Figure 2 ] are identified by the same reference numerals as in ] and will therefore not be described in more detail here. Figure 3 ], it will be noted the presence of a G.hn 141 plug associated with the charging terminal 14 and a G.hn 151 plug associated with the access gateway 15.

[0090] This embodiment variant based on G.hn technology is particularly advantageous in the context of a home environment where Wi-Fi coverage may be insufficient, in particular, where the charging terminal 14 is typically installed in a basement or garage and out of range of an access gateway 15 of a local communication network.

[0091] about[ Figure 4 ], a second embodiment is now presented, in which the procedure for authenticating the vehicle 10 is no longer based on inputting an authentication code received from a remote charging management server, but is based on exchanging a unique key between the charging terminal 14 and the vehicle 10 when a charging cable connecting the charging terminal 14 and the vehicle 10 to each other is connected.

[0092] During step E10, the user connects the charging cable 13 between the electric vehicle 10 and the charging terminal 14. The connection socket of the vehicle 10 is equipped with a communication module enabling the vehicle to exchange messages with the charging terminal 14 via the charging cable 13, using any suitable type of communication protocol, such as the File Transfer Protocol Secure (FTPS) protocol. These exchanges are based in particular on a communication protocol related to the exchange of asymmetric cryptographic keys, including public and private keys, whereby the charging terminal 14 can authenticate the electric vehicle 10 using known techniques, which will therefore not be described in greater detail here.

[0093] At the end of this authentication phase, the charging terminal 14 collects the profile of the vehicle 10 (private or professional) and, in particular, its identifier, as well as various associated items of information such as mileage, overall status of the vehicle, any anomalies detected, etc.

[0094] After collecting this profile, the charging terminal 14 starts charging the vehicle 10 during a step marked E11. During this step, it communicates with a smart meter 17 located at the user's home in order to associate the electricity consumption resulting from this charging with the profile of the vehicle 10 that it has collected.

[0095] This communication with any other device within the local communication network (such as the electricity meter 17 or the access gateway 15) may be performed using any suitable communication technology, and in particular Or power line communication technology (PLC and its evolution). Figure 4 ], the communication using ITU G.hn technology is represented by the following example: the charging terminal 14 and the access gateway 15 are therefore equipped with G.hn plugs, marked as 141 and 151 respectively.

[0096] The charging terminal 14 also communicates with an Internet network 16 via a gateway 15 for accessing a home local network, the Internet network 16 hosting one or more charging management servers 18 (not shown) for electric vehicles.

[0097] When the profile of the vehicle 10 indicates to the charging terminal that it is a professional vehicle, the terminal 14 transmits, via the access gateway 15, to the company charging management server 18 identified from the profile of the vehicle 10, an item of information relating to the amount of energy used during step E11 to charge the vehicle 10. The charging management server 18 stores the item of information and charges the company the associated costs, either directly or via a reimbursement procedure for an employee user.

[0098] As a variant, an additional step of confirming on the user's mobile terminal that the vehicle 10 will be charged to their account or to their company's account may be considered.

[0099] about[ Figure 5 ], now the hardware structure of the home charging terminal 14 for electric vehicles according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Such a terminal is provided by, for example, the employer of the user of the electric vehicle or by the vehicle manufacturer of the electric vehicle. The device is installed in the user's home, such as in their garage, the parking lot of their building, or the basement of their house.

[0100] Such a charging terminal 14 is configured to request, receive and control authentication data associated with an electric vehicle connected thereto, for the purpose of monitoring the electricity consumption associated with the charging of this vehicle, in order to pay the related bills by the company that owns the vehicle.

[0101] Therefore, such a charging terminal 14 comprises:

[0102] - REQ_AUTH module, used to generate a request for the vehicle's authentication data;

[0103] - CTRL_AUTH module, which is used to control the authentication data and control the module CHG for vehicle charging.

[0104] The term "module" may correspond to a software component as well as a hardware component or a set of hardware and software components, the software component itself corresponding to one or more computer programs or subroutines, or more generally, to any element of a program capable of implementing a function or a set of functions.

[0105] The charging terminal 14 generally includes a memory M associated with the processor CPU. The memory may be of the following types: ROM (read-only memory), RAM (random access memory) or flash memory. The charging terminal also includes an input / output module I / O, which can be connected to other devices of the home local communication network via a wired or wireless link 1, such as an access gateway 15 or a smart meter 17. For example, the link 1 is a G.hn wired link or a wireless link. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the first embodiment described, the I / O module is a transmission / reception module which manages the transmission of the authentication data request generated by the REQ_AUTH module to the access gateway 15 of the local communication network, and the reception of the returned authentication data, which can be entered by the user on the dedicated HMI (Human Machine Interface) of the terminal 14. Figure 4 ] In the second embodiment described, the I / O module is an input / output module that manages the exchanges between the electric vehicle 10 and the terminal 14 via the charging cable 13 and in particular the exchanges of the authentication asymmetric keys. The I / O module also manages the exchanges between the terminal 14 and the electric meter 13 for monitoring the energy consumption associated with the charging of the vehicle 10.

[0106] The charging terminal 14 also includes an interface module, denoted IHM. This module may be a touch screen integrated into the terminal 14, or a digital code panel 20 integrated into or connected to the terminal, or even a voice control module. The interface module IHM is in [ Figure 4 ] may be optional in the second embodiment.

[0107] In this second embodiment, the CTRL_AUTH module controls the authentication of the vehicle 10 by exchanging asymmetric keys and controls the collection of the vehicle profile that may be stored in the memory M before sending it in whole or in part to the charging management server 18 .

[0108] [ Figure 5] shows only one specific one of several possible ways to implement the charging terminal 14 so that it performs the above Figures 1 to 4 The steps of the method described in detail (in any of the various embodiments, or in a combination of these embodiments). In practice, these steps can be implemented on a reprogrammable computing machine (a PC, a DSP processor, or a microcontroller) that executes a program comprising a sequence of instructions, or on a dedicated computing machine (e.g., a set of logic gates of an FPGA or ASIC, or any other hardware module).

[0109] In the case where the charging terminal 14 is implemented using a reprogrammable computing machine, the corresponding program (i.e., the instruction sequence) may be stored (or not) in a removable storage medium (e.g., a floppy disk, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM) that can be partially or fully read by a computer or processor.

[0110] about[ Figure 6 ], now presents the hardware structure of the electric vehicle charging management server 18 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Such a server is, for example, a server hosted by the company of the electric vehicle user, which is dedicated to monitoring the power consumption at the employee's home caused by the charging of professional electric vehicles for the purpose of paying the associated fees.

[0111] Such a charging management server 18 is configured to store and update an event log in which it stores in association some items of information related to the charging of electric vehicles in the company's fleet, which it receives from home charging terminals installed in the homes of company employees via a wide area communications network of the Internet type to which it is connected. Such an event log makes it possible to monitor the power consumption caused by charging company electric vehicles and, therefore, the associated costs for the purpose of direct payment to or reimbursement of the employee users.

[0112] In About Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the first embodiment described, such a charging management server 18 is also configured to receive a request for authentication data of an electric vehicle from a home charging terminal, generate an authentication code and transmit the authentication code to a mobile terminal of an employee user, whose contact information is stored in a company database accessible to the server in association with an identifier of the charging terminal that issued the request.

[0113] The charging management server 18 typically includes a memory M associated with the processor CPU. The memory may be of the following type: ROM (read-only memory), RAM (random access memory) or flash memory. Such a memory M is used to store a company database in which the identifiers of home charging terminals installed in the homes of employees and the employees' contact details, such as the telephone numbers of their professional mobile terminals, are recorded in association. The memory is also used to store event logs in which, for example, the identifier of the vehicle and data related to the power consumption caused by the charging of the vehicle are stored in association. Such an event log may also include information related to the profile of the electric vehicle, such as its overall condition, its mileage or any anomalies observed. In regard to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the first embodiment described, such an event log also stores the authentication data request received from the charging terminal, the authentication code generated by the server 18, and the associated timestamp data.

[0114] This charging management server also includes a transmission / reception module RX / TX that can be connected to the wide area communication network 16 via a wired or wireless link. In the various embodiments described with respect to the aforementioned figures, the RX / TX module is a transmission / reception module that manages the reception of all data coming from the user's home local communication network and transmitted by the access gateway 15 via the Internet network 16, and in a first embodiment, the transmission of the authentication code to the user's mobile terminal 19.

[0115] Such a charging management server 18 therefore also comprises a GEN_AUTH module for generating an authentication code which the user must enter on the HMI of the charging terminal 14 to trigger the charging of their electric vehicle 10 .

[0116] The term "module" may correspond to a software component as well as a hardware component or a set of hardware and software components, the software component itself corresponding to one or more computer programs or subroutines, or more generally, to any element of a program capable of implementing a function or a set of functions.

[0117] [ Figure 6 ] shows only one of the possible ways to implement the charging manager server 18, so that the charging manager server performs the above Figures 1 to 4 The steps of the method described in detail (in any of the various embodiments, or in a combination of these embodiments). In practice, these steps can be implemented on a reprogrammable computing machine (PC computer, DSP processor or microcontroller) that executes a program comprising a sequence of instructions, or on a dedicated computing machine (for example, a set of logic gates of an FPGA or ASIC, or any other hardware module).

[0118] In the case where the charge manager server 18 is implemented with a reprogrammable computing machine, the corresponding program (i.e., sequence of instructions) may be stored (or not) in a removable storage medium (e.g., a floppy disk, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM) that is partially or fully readable by a computer or processor.

Claims

1. A method for managing the charging of an electric vehicle (10), wherein: charging the electric vehicle via a home charging terminal (14) of the vehicle of a first user, Characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: - Connecting (E1) a charging cable (13) between the electric vehicle and the home charging terminal - the home charging terminal receives (E5) authentication data of the electric vehicle; After controlling ( E6 ) said authentication data, said home charging terminal triggers ( E11 ) said charging via said home charging terminal if said authentication data relates to a second user different from said first user and authorized to carry out charging.

2. The method for managing the charging of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that The authentication data of the vehicle is an authentication code associated with the vehicle input by the first user on an input interface (20) associated with the home charging terminal.

3. The method for managing charging of an electric vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: During the connection of the charging cable, the home charging terminal sends an authentication data request to a charging management server (18), which is capable of generating the authentication code and transmitting the authentication code to the mobile communication terminal (19) of the first user.

4. The method for managing charging of an electric vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that: The home charging terminal (14) is connected to a gateway (15) for accessing a local communication network, and the gateway is capable of relaying the authentication data request received from the home charging terminal to the charging management server via a wide area communication network (16).

5. The method for managing charging of an electric vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that The home charging terminal (14) is connected to the access gateway (15) using a communication technology belonging to the group consisting of: - technology; -Technology that complies with the G.hn standard specified by the International Telecommunication Union in a series of recommendations such as Recommendation G.9960.

6. The method for managing charging of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The authentication data is transmitted by the electric vehicle to the home charging terminal via the charging cable (13) and includes a unique identification key of the electric vehicle.

7. The method for managing charging of an electric vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that: The authentication data also includes a profile of the electric vehicle, the profile including at least some information related to the electric vehicle belonging to the group including: - an identifier of the electric vehicle; - the mileage of the electric vehicle; - items of information about the status of said electric vehicle; - an identifier of the first user of the electric vehicle; - Anomalies detected on said electric vehicle.

8. The method for managing the charging of an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that The home charging terminal performs authentication of the electric vehicle based on the unique identification key.

9. The method for managing the charging of an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that The charging terminal transmits information related to power consumption associated with the charging of the vehicle in association with at least some of the information of the profile of the electric vehicle to a charging management server.

10. A computer program product comprising program code instructions for implementing the method for managing the charging of an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9 when the program code instructions are executed by a processor.

11. A home charging terminal (14) for an electric vehicle, configured to implement the charging management method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the home charging terminal comprising a socket for connecting a charging cable (13) of the electric vehicle to the terminal, characterized in that: The home charging terminal (14) comprises: - a module for receiving authentication data of said electric vehicle (RX_AUTH); - a module for controlling said authentication data (CTRL_AUTH) configured to activate the triggering of said charging by said charging terminal.

12. A method for controlling charging of an electric vehicle implemented by a charging management server (18), characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: - receiving a vehicle authentication data request from a home charging terminal (14) to which the electric vehicle (10) is connected, the home charging terminal being arranged in the home of the first user and configured to implement the charging management method according to any one of claims 1 to 5; - checking whether the vehicle belongs to a second user different from the first user and whether the first user is authorized to charge the vehicle; - generating an authentication code and transmitting said authentication code to the mobile communication terminal (19) of said first user.

13. The method for controlling charging of an electric vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that: The charging management server (18) stores an event log in which the charging management server records the authentication code, the identifier of the charging terminal included in the authentication data request, and a timestamp data item associated with the request and / or the authentication code in association with each other.

14. The method for controlling charging of an electric vehicle according to claim 13, characterized in that: The charging management server (18) sends a request for obtaining power consumption associated with the charging to an electric meter (17) existing on a local communication network to which the charging terminal (14) is connected, the obtaining request containing the time stamp data item.

15. A computer program product comprising program code instructions for implementing the method for controlling charging of an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 12 to 14 when the program code instructions are executed by a processor.

16. A charging management server (18) for an electric vehicle, configured to implement the control method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that: The charging management server includes a module for receiving an authentication data request from a charging terminal (14) to which the electric vehicle (10) is connected, and a module for generating an authentication code and transmitting the authentication code to a mobile communication terminal (19) of the first user.

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