Apparatus and methods for charging electric vehicles

Abstract

This disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for charging an electric vehicle. An apparatus for charging an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a charging inlet for receiving power and charging information from an electric vehicle power supply device (EVSE); a control module for determining a charging mode based on the charging information and outputting a control signal according to the determined charging mode; and a charging unit for charging the battery of the electric vehicle according to the control signal from the control module.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese Patent Application No. 202110740463.1, filed on June 30, 2021, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Charging Electric Vehicles". Patent Application No. 202110740463.1 is a divisional application of Chinese Patent Application No. 201680040354.6, filed on January 8, 2018, also entitled "Apparatus and Method for Charging Electric Vehicles". Patent Application No. 201680040354.6 is the application that entered the Chinese national phase with the international application date of July 8, 2016, and international application number PCT / KR2016 / 007431. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to electric vehicles, and more specifically to the charging of electric vehicles. Background Technology

[0003] Environmentally friendly vehicles, such as electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), use electric vehicle power supply equipment (EVSEs) installed at charging stations to charge their batteries.

[0004] Various standards have been actively established for the interaction between EVs and EVSEs. EV charging standards can be broadly categorized into charging systems, charging interfaces, and communication protocols.

[0005] However, standards vary depending on the country or car company, necessitating the development and design of charging devices, battery packs, battery management systems (BMS), etc., for EVs according to different standards. This results in increased cost and time required to develop devices for EV charging. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] This disclosure is intended to provide a charging control device for electric vehicles and a charging device including the charging control device.

[0008] Technical solution

[0009] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, an apparatus for charging an electric vehicle includes: a charging inlet configured to receive power and charging information from an electric vehicle power supply device (EVSE); a control module configured to determine a charging mode based on the charging information and output a control signal according to the determined charging mode; and a charger configured to charge the battery of the electric vehicle according to the control signal from the control module.

[0010] The control module may include: a selector configured to determine a charging mode based on charging information received from the charging port; a switching unit configured to select a task unit corresponding to the selected charging mode based on information from the selector; and multiple task units configured to output control signals corresponding to different charging modes, thereby enabling charging under different charging modes to be performed.

[0011] Charging information may include one or more of the following groups: cable information, charging type information, charging voltage / current information, rated voltage, and charging time information.

[0012] Different charging modes may include two or more of the following: combo mode, first combo mode, second combo mode, CHAdeMO mode, AC three-phase mode, and GB / T (China DC) mode.

[0013] The switching unit may include one of the following: metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), gate-off (GTO) thyristors, insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), and silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs).

[0014] Devices used for charging electric vehicles may also include inverters.

[0015] The device for charging electric vehicles may also include a communicator configured to communicate with the EVSE.

[0016] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a method for charging an electric vehicle includes: collecting charging information from an electric vehicle power supply device (EVSE); determining a charging mode based on the charging information; and performing charging of the electric vehicle according to the determined charging mode.

[0017] Charging information may include one or more of the following groups: cable information, charging type information, charging voltage / current information, rated voltage, and charging time information.

[0018] The charging mode may include one or more of the following groups: combined mode, first combined mode, second combined mode, CHAdeMO mode, AC three-phase mode and GB / T (China DC) mode.

[0019] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a charging control device for an electric vehicle includes: a first communication channel configured to be connected to an EVSE; a second communication channel configured to be connected to an EVSE; a third communication channel configured to be connected to an electronic control unit (ECU) of the electric vehicle; and a controller configured to: be connected to the first, second, and third communication channels, generate a signal for controlling battery charging using signals received through the first or second communication channel, and send the signal for controlling battery charging to the ECU through the third communication channel.

[0020] The first and second communication channels can be based on different protocols.

[0021] The first communication channel may be based on a protocol that supports at least one of power line communication (PLC) and pulse width modulation (PWM), and the second communication channel may be based on a protocol that supports controller area network (CAN).

[0022] The protocol of the first communication channel can conform to the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard, and the protocol of the second communication channel can conform to the CHAdeMo (CHAdeMo) standard or the Chinese EV charging standard.

[0023] The third communication channel can be based on a protocol that supports CAN.

[0024] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a charging device for an electric vehicle includes: a control pilot (CP) port configured to receive a CP signal via a charging cable connected to an EVSE; a first communication channel configured to be connected to the CP port and via the CP port to the EVSE; a second communication channel configured to be connected to the EVSE supporting CAN communication interface standards including CHAdeM, Chinese National Standards, etc.; a third communication channel configured to be connected to an electronic control unit (ECU) of the electric vehicle; and a charging controller including a control unit connected to the first, second, and third communication channels, the control unit being configured to exchange signals for controlling battery charging using signals received via the first or second communication channel, and being configured to send signals for controlling battery charging to the ECU via the third communication channel.

[0025] The charging device can also provide a proximity detection (PD) port for detecting the proximity of the charging cable to the connector, and a protective ground (PE) port for grounding connection with the EVSE.

[0026] Beneficial effects

[0027] According to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the charging control device and charging device are provided for general application and are not limited to specific standards. Therefore, the time and cost required to develop the charging control device and charging device can be reduced, and the components can be simplified. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an electric vehicle charging system connected to the power grid.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the concept of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of a charging system for an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of an electric vehicle charging device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 5 An embodiment of the control module (120) in an electric vehicle charging device (100) according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a view used to describe the operation of charging an electric vehicle charging device (100) connected to an electric vehicle power supply device (EVSE) (20) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a method for charging an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of a charging device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 9 This is a block diagram of a charging controller included in a charging device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 10 This is a more detailed block diagram of a charging controller according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0037] This disclosure allows for various modifications and has many implementations, and therefore exemplary embodiments will be illustrated and described in the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments, and all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives can be made without departing from the concept and scope of this disclosure.

[0038] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, the elements should not be limited by the terms. Terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0039] It should be understood that when a component is referred to as "connected" or "coupled" to another component, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other component, or there may be intermediate components. Conversely, when a component is referred to as "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another component, there are no intermediate components.

[0040] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well. It will be further understood that, when used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including” indicate the presence of stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It should be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant field and shall not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning, unless expressly defined herein.

[0042] In the following description, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals always refer to the same elements, and repetitive descriptions will be avoided.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an electric vehicle charging system connected to the power grid.

[0044] Reference Figure 1This describes the entire process of charging an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle includes a battery, which can be directly or indirectly connected to an external Electric Vehicle Power Supply (EVSE) 20. The EVSE 20 can receive electricity from a power source (or energy source) and supply electricity to the electric vehicle. Typically, a power source includes, for example, a power grid from a power company used for generating and supplying electricity, devices other than the power grid capable of generating and / or supplying electricity, and any power source capable of supplying electricity to the EVSE 20. For example, a power transmission / distribution facility 1 and a renewable power generator 2 can be considered as power sources. For instance, the power transmission / distribution facility 1 can include a power plant responsible for supplying primary power. Furthermore, the renewable power generator 2 can include an energy recovery device comprising distributed power sources and energy storage systems to generate auxiliary power. The EVSE 20 can be associated with a smart grid (or smart power grid), which means a next-generation power system and its management system achieved through the convergence and integration of modern power technologies with information and communication technologies that have recently been growing.

[0045] Simultaneously, the central management server 5 manages the primary and / or auxiliary power company operators and the EVSE 20 to link them together. Specifically, the central management server 5 receives power supply requests from the EVSE and, in response to the received power supply requests, manages the power supplied from the primary and / or auxiliary power company operators to the EVSE. In this process, the central management server 5 can support and provide all necessary infrastructure, such as communication protocols, for supplying / receiving power between the charging machine and the primary and / or auxiliary power company operators. The EVSE 20 may also include a local server 7 communicating with the central management server 5 and a smart meter 6 for controlling power demand / supply. Specifically, the smart meter 6 can more accurately control power demand / supply based on the level of power demand / supply, billing-related information, etc., within the aforementioned smart grid environment. The local server 7 provides the infrastructure to collect and transmit necessary information between the power source and the electric vehicle, and can perform various control operations based on this information. For example, when the EVSE 20 is connected to an electric vehicle, the local server 7 can receive additional information from the electric vehicle. The local server 7 can then request the power source to supply the necessary power based on the received additional information. The power information network 8 can provide various power information to the central management server, power company operators, and devices used for charging the batteries of electric vehicles. The EVSE 20 includes a coupler that acts as a connector, directly connecting to and supplying power to an inlet located in the electric vehicle. This allows information about the electric vehicle to be transmitted to the local server 7 via the connection between the inlet and the coupler, and power received from the power source can be supplied to the electric vehicle via the coupler based on the transmitted information, thereby charging the electric vehicle's battery.

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the concept of the present invention. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the electric vehicle charging device 100 according to this disclosure can be installed inside the electric vehicle (EV) 10. The electric vehicle charging device 100 can be connected to an external EVSE with a different charging mode. Figure 2 The embodiments shown depict an electric vehicle charging device 100 according to this disclosure that can be connected to an EVSE C1 in a first charging mode, an EVSE C2 in a second charging mode, and an EVSE C3 in a third charging mode. Although not shown, EVSEs with different charging modes can be integrated into a single device.

[0047] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of a charging system for an EV according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Reference Figure 3The EV 10 can be charged from the EVSE 20. For this purpose, the charging cable connected to the EVSE 20 can be connected to the EV 10's charging port. Here, the EVSE 20 refers to a device for supplying AC or DC power; it can be placed at a charging station or in a home, or it can be portable. The EVSE 20 is interchangeable with power supplies, AC power supplies, DC power supplies, socket outlets, etc.

[0049] The charging device 100 is included in the EV 10 and connected to the electronic control unit (ECU) 200 inside the EV 10.

[0050] The fast charging standards for the EV 10 charging device 100 are broadly divided into the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard and the CHAdeMO standard.

[0051] Among the aforementioned standards, the CCS standard refers to the standard that introduces power line communication (PLC) into a combined charging port, where the DC charging port and AC charging port are integrated into one port, and it is leading in the US and Europe. Furthermore, the CHAdeMO standard refers to a standard that separates the DC charging port and AC charging port, and it is leading in Japan. In addition, China has independently established a fast charging standard for EVs.

[0052] One embodiment of this disclosure attempts to provide a charging device 100 capable of supporting all various standards.

[0053] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of an electric vehicle charging device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric vehicle charging device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can be installed inside vehicles such as EVs, but is not limited thereto.

[0054] Reference Figure 4 According to one embodiment of this disclosure, an electric vehicle charging device 100 includes a charging inlet 110, a control module 120, and a charger 130, and is connected to a battery 300. The charging inlet 110 serves as a connector for connection to an external EVSE 20. That is, for example, the charging inlet 110 can be connected to a plug connector, coupler, etc., of an external EVSE 20, and receive power from the EVSE. For example, the charging inlet 110 can be connected to the external EVSE in a wired manner using a cable, etc., but is not limited thereto. The charging inlet 110 can be connected to the external EVSE directly or indirectly in a wired / wireless manner. Furthermore, the charging inlet 110 can receive EVSE information from the connected external EVSE, such as cable information, charging type, rated voltage, charging time information, voltage / current information, etc.

[0055] The control module 120 receives EVSE information from the charging port 110, outputs a control signal corresponding to the EVSE information, and controls the charger 130 to charge. The control module 120 may include one or more task units 126, selects the task unit 126 corresponding to the EVSE information received from the charging port 110, and controls the selected task unit 126 to output a control signal. The control module 120 can send the control signal to the charger 130 and / or the charging port 110. (Referring to the following...) Figure 4 The detailed configuration and operation of control module 120 are described in detail.

[0056] The charger 130 can charge the battery 300 under predetermined charging conditions based on control signals received from the control module 120. In this case, the control signals applied to the charger 130 can be changed depending on which task unit 126 is selected in the control module 120, and therefore the charging conditions of the charger 130 can also be changed. For example, the charging conditions may include voltage information, current information, charging time information, etc. Meanwhile, the charger 130 can be directly or indirectly connected to the charging port 110. In this case, the charging port 110 can receive control signals from the control module 120 and send the received control signals to the charger 130.

[0057] Battery 300 can be directly or indirectly connected to charger 130 and charged under predetermined conditions. Although not shown, battery 300 may also include a discharger (not shown) to discharge as needed.

[0058] Although not shown, the electric vehicle charging device 100 may also include an inverter for converting AC / DC power. Additionally, the electric vehicle charging device 100 may also include a communicator (not shown) for communicating with external devices.

[0059] Figure 5 An embodiment of the control module 120 in an electric vehicle charging device 100 according to this disclosure is shown. (Refer to...) Figure 5 The following describes the control module 120 of the electric vehicle charging device 100. As shown, the control module 120 includes a selector 122, a switching unit 124, and a task unit 126. The task unit 126 may include one or more task units with different modes from each other. For example, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the task unit 126 may include a first charging mode task unit 126a, a second charging mode task unit 126b, and a third charging mode task unit 126c, but is not limited thereto.

[0060] Selector 122 can be connected to charging port 110 via, for example, a cable. Selector 122 receives charging information from charging port 110 and determines the task unit 126 corresponding to the received charging information. For example, charging port 110 may collect connector information about the EVSE 20 connected to the electric vehicle charging device, and selector 122 may determine task unit 126 based on the collected connector information. Switching unit 124 receives information from selector 122 and selects the appropriate task unit from one or more task units 126. Switching unit 124 may include, but is not limited to, semiconductor switching devices such as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), gate-off (GTO) thyristors, insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), and silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs).

[0061] Next, an example of how selector 122 determines task unit 126 will be described. For example, when the first charging mode is a combined charging mode, the second charging mode is a CHAdeMO charging mode, and the third charging mode is an AC three-phase charging mode, if the connector information of EVSE 20 collected by charging inlet 110 indicates that a first connector can use both DC power and single-phase AC power, selector 122 can determine the first charging mode task unit 126a as the corresponding task unit based on this information. Furthermore, if the connector information of EVSE 20 collected by charging inlet 110 indicates that a second connector uses DC power, selector 122 can determine the second charging mode task unit 126b as the corresponding task unit based on this information. Additionally, if the connector information of EVSE 20 collected by charging inlet 110 indicates that a third connector uses AC three-phase power, selector 122 can determine the third charging mode task unit 126c as the corresponding task unit based on this information.

[0062] The above embodiments are merely examples to help understand the contents of this disclosure, and therefore the connector information is not limited to the above embodiments, but can be applied to any connector to be developed in the future.

[0063] As described above, task unit 126 may include task units with different patterns from each other. (See reference...) Figure 5Task unit 126 may include a first charging mode task unit 126a, a second charging mode task unit 126b, and a third charging mode task unit 126c. As described above, EVs have various types of charging, such as combined charging, CHAdeMO charging, and AC three-phase charging, and task units 126 with different modes can perform charging in different ways. For example, the first charging mode task unit 126a can perform combined charging, the second charging mode task unit 126b can perform CHAdeMO charging, and the third charging mode task unit 126c can perform AC three-phase charging. However, the above description is merely one embodiment of this disclosure, and it will therefore be apparent that the type of charging performed in each task unit varies depending on the design purpose and application.

[0064] Here, task unit 126 can be operated using software appropriately designed for different types of charging. For example, task unit 126a in the first charging mode can be operated using software designed for combined charging, task unit 126b in the second charging mode can be operated using software designed for CHAdeMO charging, and task unit 126c in the third charging mode can be operated using software designed for AC three-phase charging. The fact that task unit 126 operates using software appropriately designed for each corresponding type of charging means that task unit 126 outputs control signals for EV charging according to each corresponding type of charging.

[0065] For example, when the first charging mode is combined charging, the first charging mode task unit 126a outputs a control signal, enabling the EV to be charged using DC power and AC power selectively supplied from a power source (not shown) for DC fast charging and AC fast charging. In this case, charging conditions such as voltage / current conditions and charging time conditions can be set by user input according to design purpose and application. Similarly, when the second charging mode is CHAdeMO charging, the second charging mode task unit 126b outputs a control signal, enabling the EV to be charged in CHAdeMO mode. Furthermore, when the third charging mode is AC three-phase charging, the third charging mode task unit 126c outputs a control signal, enabling the EV to be charged using three-phase AC power supplied from a power source (not shown).

[0066] In the above embodiments, for ease of description only, the task unit 126 of the electric vehicle charging system according to this disclosure includes three task units 126a to 126c, which is not to be construed as limiting the inventive concept. In other words, it will be apparent that the charging modes and the number of task units processed by the task units of the electric vehicle charging system according to this disclosure are not limited to the charging modes and the number of task units in the above embodiments.

[0067] Figure 6 This is a view used to describe the operation of charging an electric vehicle charging device 100 connected to an EVSE 20 according to one embodiment of this disclosure. (Note: The reference is incomplete and requires further context.) Figure 5 The operation of the components will be described, and repetitive descriptions will be omitted. The charging port 110 is connected to the EVSE 20 and collects charging information from the EVSE 20. In this case, the collected charging information can be sent to the selector 122 via a detection line. The switching unit 124 and the charging port 110 can be connected via a charging communication line. Furthermore, the charging port 110 can be connected to the charger 130 via a charging line. Additionally, the charging port 110 can be connected to the selector 122 via a detection line.

[0068] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a method for charging an EV according to one embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 7 As shown, the method for charging an EV according to this disclosure includes the following operations: collecting charging information (S100), determining a charging mode (S200), and performing charging (S300). As described above, charging information is collected from the connected external EVSE (S100), including cable information, charging type information, charging voltage / current information, rated voltage, charging time information, etc. Based on the collected charging information, a corresponding charging mode is determined (S200). The charging mode may include a combination mode, a first combination mode, a second combination mode, a CHAdeMO mode, an AC three-phase mode, and / or a GB / T (China DC) mode. When a charging mode is determined, the EV's battery is charged using the corresponding charging mode (S300).

[0069] Meanwhile, the communication method between the EVSE 20 and the charging device 100 can be changed according to the standard. For example, in the case of the CCS standard, a PLC is used for communication between the EVSE 20 and the charging device 100, while in the case of the CHAdeMo standard and the Chinese EV charging standard, a Controller Area Network (CAN) is used for communication between the EVSE 20 and the charging device 100.

[0070] The charging device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below by way of example. It also includes a charging controller to support communication methods that vary according to standards.

[0071] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of a charging device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 9 This is a block diagram of a charging controller included in a charging device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] Reference Figure 8The charging port 110 of the charging device 100 for EV 10 includes a control pilot (CP) port, a proximity detection (PD) port, a protective ground (PE) port, and a power input port.

[0073] Here, the CP port is used to receive the CP signal via the charging cable connected to the EVSE.

[0074] The PD port is used to sense the proximity of the charging cable to the connector.

[0075] The PE port is the port to be connected to the grounding port of the EVSE 20.

[0076] The charging controller 140 controls the charging of the battery 300. Although not shown, the charging controller 140 may be included in the control module 120 and connected to at least one of the selector 122, switching unit 124, and task unit 126 in the control module 120. Alternatively, the charging controller 140 may be separately configured from the control module 120 and operate independently.

[0077] The charging controller 140 may include: pilot function (PF) logic for processing pilot functions received through the CP port; and proximity detection (PD) logic for using signals received through the PD port to detect whether the connector of the EVSE 20 is inserted.

[0078] When the charging controller 140 receives signals through the CP port and the PD port, it controls the charger 130 connected to the power input port, enabling the battery 300 to receive charging power from the EVSE 20. The charging controller 140 can be used interchangeably with the Electric Vehicle Communication Controller (EVCC).

[0079] Reference Figure 9 The charging controller 140 in the charging device 100 includes a first communication channel 142, a second communication channel 144, a third communication channel 146, and a control unit 148.

[0080] Here, signals are transmitted and received between the EVSE 20 and the charging controller 140 via a first communication channel 142 and a second communication channel 144. In this case, the first communication channel 142 and the second communication channel 144 may be different from each other in terms of protocol. For example, the first communication channel 142 may be based on a protocol that supports power line communication (PLC), pulse width modulation (PWM), or both PLC and PWM, and the second communication channel 144 may be based on a protocol that supports controller area network (CAN).

[0081] Furthermore, the control unit 148 is connected to the first communication channel 142 and the second communication channel 144, and generates signals for controlling battery charging using signals received through the first communication channel 142 or the second communication channel 144. In this case, when a signal is received through the first communication channel 142, the control unit 148 processes the signal according to a PLC-supported protocol, and when a signal is received through the second communication channel 144, it processes the signal according to a CAN-supported protocol.

[0082] Therefore, the charging device 100 according to one embodiment of this disclosure can support all representative standards for EV charging, namely the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard, the CHAdeMo (CHAdeMo) standard, and the Chinese EV charging standard, because it can connect to the EVSE 20 via a first communication channel 142 according to the CCS standard, or via a second communication channel 144 according to the CHAdeMo or Chinese EV charging standard. Here, the EVSE 20 connected to the first communication channel 142 and the EVSE 20 connected to the second communication channel 144 can be the same EVSE or different EVSEs. For example, an EVSE can include all interfaces conforming to the CCS standard, the CHAdeMo standard, and the Chinese EV charging standard, or can include one of the interfaces conforming to the CCS standard, the CHAdeMo standard, and the Chinese EV charging standard.

[0083] Simultaneously, the control unit 148 is connected to the third communication channel 146, and the signal generated by the control unit 148 for controlling battery charging is sent to the ECU 200 through the third communication channel 146. In this case, the third communication channel 146 can be based on a CAN-enabled protocol. Therefore, the control unit 148 can be controlled by the ECU 200 to control the EV 10.

[0084] Figure 10 This is a more detailed block diagram of a charging controller according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] Reference Figure 10 The charging controller 140 in the charging device 100 includes a first communication channel 142, a second communication channel 144, a third communication channel 146, and a control unit 148. Furthermore, the first communication channel 142 is based on a PLC-supporting protocol, and the second communication channel 144 and the third communication channel 146 are based on a CAN-supporting protocol.

[0086] For this purpose, the first communication channel 142 may include a matching block and a household plug green PHY (HPGP) modem. The first communication channel 142 may use the matching block to match signals to be received from or sent to EVSE 20, and use the HPGP modem to perform PLC communication.

[0087] Furthermore, the control unit 148 can generate control signals for battery charging by processing signals received via the first communication channel 142 or the second communication channel 144. In this case, when a signal is received via the first communication channel 142, the control unit 148 processes the signal according to a PLC-supported protocol, and when a signal is received via the second communication channel 144, it processes the signal according to a CAN-supported protocol.

[0088] Additionally, the control unit 148 is connected to the third communication channel 146, and the signal generated by the control unit 148 for controlling battery charging is sent to the ECU 200 through the third communication channel 146.

[0089] Additionally, the charging device 100 according to one embodiment of this disclosure may also have additional functions.

[0090] For example, the charging controller 140 according to one embodiment of this disclosure may also include an internal power block (and protection) 190 to be connected to the battery 300 of the EV 10. Therefore, even when the EV 10 is stopped or the charging controller 140 is in sleep mode, backup power can be supplied to the charging controller 140.

[0091] Additionally, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the charging controller 140 may further include a fourth communication channel 192 to be connected to the diagnostic unit 400 of the EV 10. In this case, the fourth communication channel 192 may be based on a CAN-enabled protocol. Therefore, the diagnostic unit 400 of the EV 10 sends signals to the charging controller 140 via the fourth communication channel 192 to control the charging device 100. Furthermore, signals generated by the charging controller 140 are sent to the diagnostic unit 400 of the EV 10 via the fourth communication channel 192, allowing the diagnostic unit 400 to diagnose faults or abnormalities in the charging device 100 based on the received signals.

[0092] Here, the third communication channel 146 and the fourth communication channel 192 are provided separately from each other, but are not limited thereto. Alternatively, the third communication channel 146 and the fourth communication channel 192 can be integrated into a single communication channel.

[0093] Furthermore, the charging controller 140 according to embodiments of this disclosure also includes a device control unit (controls and drivers) 194, which can be connected to the charging-related devices 500 of the EV 10 (among vehicle sensors and controllable functions). The device control unit 194 sends signals between the control unit 148 of the charging controller 140 and the charging-related devices 500 of the EV 10, thereby controlling the charging-related devices 500 in the EV 10 or sensing faults or abnormalities in the charging-related devices 500.

[0094] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the charging controller 140 also includes a safety control unit (safety circuit) 196 that can be connected to the safety-related equipment (safety functions on the vehicle) 600 of the EV 10. The safety control unit 196 sends signals between the control unit 148 of the charging controller 140 and the safety-related equipment 600 of the EV 10, thereby controlling the safety-related equipment 600 of the EV 10 or sensing a fault or abnormality in the safety-related equipment 600.

[0095] Additionally, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the charging controller 140 further includes a sensor control unit 198, which can be connected to the sensor 700 of the EV 10. The sensor control unit 198 sends signals between the control unit 148 of the charging controller 140 and the sensor 700 of the EV 10, thereby controlling the sensor 700 of the EV 10 or sensing a fault or abnormality in the sensor 700.

[0096] Although exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept, as defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0097] [Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures]

[0098] 10: Electric vehicles

[0099] 20: Electric vehicle power supply equipment

[0100] 100: Charging device

[0101] Regarding the implementation methods including the above embodiments, the following technical solutions are also disclosed:

[0102] Project 1. An apparatus for charging an electric vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

[0103] The charging port is configured to receive power and charging information from the electric vehicle power supply equipment (EVSE);

[0104] A control module configured to determine a charging mode based on the charging information and output a control signal according to the determined charging mode; and

[0105] A charger configured to charge the battery of the electric vehicle according to control signals from the control module.

[0106] Project 2. The apparatus according to Project 1, wherein the control module comprises:

[0107] A selector is configured to determine the charging mode based on charging information received from the charging port;

[0108] A switching unit configured to select a task unit corresponding to the selected charging mode based on information from the selector; and

[0109] Multiple task units are configured to output control signals corresponding to different charging modes, thereby enabling the execution of charging under the different charging modes.

[0110] Project 3. The apparatus according to Project 1, wherein the charging information includes one or more of the following: cable information, charging type information, charging voltage / current information, rated voltage, and charging time information.

[0111] Item 4. The apparatus according to Item 2, wherein the different charging modes include two or more selected from the group consisting of: combined mode, first combined mode, second combined mode, CHAdeMO mode, AC three-phase mode and GB / T (China DC) mode.

[0112] Item 5. The apparatus according to Item 2, wherein the switching unit comprises one selected from the group consisting of: metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), gate-off (GTO) thyristors, insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), and silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs).

[0113] Item 6. The apparatus according to Item 1 further includes an inverter.

[0114] Item 7. The apparatus according to Item 1 further includes a communicator configured to communicate with the EVSE.

[0115] Item 8. The apparatus according to Item 1 further includes:

[0116] A first communication channel is configured to be connected to the EVSE;

[0117] A second communication channel is configured to be connected to the EVSE;

[0118] A third communication channel is configured to connect to the electronic control unit (ECU) of the electric vehicle; and

[0119] A charging controller includes a control unit connected to a first communication channel, a second communication channel, and a third communication channel. The control unit is configured to generate a signal for controlling battery charging using a signal received through the first communication channel or the second communication channel, and is configured to send the signal for controlling battery charging to the ECU through the third communication channel.

[0120] Item 9. The apparatus according to Item 8, wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel are based on different protocols from each other.

[0121] Item 10. The apparatus according to Item 9, wherein the first communication channel is based on a protocol supporting at least one of power line communication (PLC) and pulse width modulation (PWM), and the second communication channel is based on a protocol supporting controller area network (CAN).

[0122] Item 11. The apparatus according to Item 10, wherein the third communication channel is based on a CAN-supporting protocol.

[0123] Item 12. A method for charging an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

[0124] Collect charging information from electric vehicle power supply equipment (EVSE);

[0125] The charging mode is determined based on the charging information; and

[0126] The electric vehicle is charged according to the determined charging mode.

[0127] Item 13. The method according to Item 12, wherein the charging information includes one or more of the following: cable information, charging type information, charging voltage / current information, rated voltage, and charging time information.

[0128] Item 14. The method according to Item 12, wherein the charging mode includes one or more of the following: combined mode, first combined mode, second combined mode, CHAdeMO mode, AC three-phase mode and GB / T (China DC) mode.

Claims

1. A charging control device for an electric vehicle, the charging control device comprising: The first communication channel is configured to connect to the electric vehicle power supply equipment EVSE; A second communication channel is configured to be connected to the EVSE; A third communication channel is configured to connect to the electronic control unit (ECU) of the electric vehicle; The proximity detection PD port is configured to receive a proximity detection signal indicating a connection to the charging connector; A power input port is configured to receive charging power from the EVSE; A charger configured to connect to the power input port; as well as A controller is configured to: connect to the first communication channel, the second communication channel, and the third communication channel; generate a signal for controlling battery charging using signals received through the first communication channel or the second communication channel; and send the signal for controlling battery charging to the ECU through the third communication channel. Specifically, when the controller receives a signal for controlling the charging of the battery and a proximity detection signal, the charger transmits the charging power to the battery of the electric vehicle based on the charging mode. The first communication channel communicates with the EVSE via a communication modem, and the communication modem is an HPGP communication modem.

2. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein, The charging control device further includes a matching block, which matches signals received from the EVSE and signals sent to the EVSE.

3. The charging control device according to claim 1, further comprising: A switch configured to selectively allow the charging power to flow from the power input port to the battery of the electric vehicle.

4. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein, The first communication channel and the second communication channel are based on different protocols.

5. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein, The charging modes include: a first charging mode when a signal is received through the first communication channel and a second charging mode when a signal is received through the second communication channel.

6. The charging control device according to claim 1 further includes an inverter for converting DC to AC to charge the battery.

7. The charging control device according to claim 1, further comprising a CP port for receiving the signal, wherein, Signals received through the CP port are transmitted through the first communication channel and the second communication channel.

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