Apparatus and method for charging electric vehicle

Abstract

The present 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 comprises: a charging inlet for receiving electric power and charging information from electric vehicle power supply equipment (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 a battery of the electric vehicle according to the control signal from the control module.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application filed on June 30, 2021, with application number 202110740463.1 and invention name “Device and method for charging electric vehicles”. The patent application with application number 202110740463.1 is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application filed on January 8, 2018, with application number 201680040354.6 and invention name “Device and method for charging electric vehicles”. The patent application with application number 201680040354.6 is an application that entered the Chinese national phase of the application with international application date of July 8, 2016 and international application number PCT / KR2016 / 007431. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to electric vehicles, and more particularly to charging electric vehicles. Background Art

[0003] Environmentally friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) charge their batteries using electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installed in a charging station.

[0004] Various standards have been actively established for the interaction between EV and EVSE. EV charging standards can be roughly divided into charging systems, charging interfaces, communication protocols, etc.

[0005] However, standards are adopted differently depending on countries or car companies, and thus charging devices, battery packs, battery management systems (BMS), etc. for EVs must be developed and designed according to different standards. Therefore, there is a problem that the cost and time required to develop devices for charging EVs increase. Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] The present disclosure is directed to providing a charging control device for an electric vehicle and a charging device including the charging control device.

[0008] Technical Solution

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus for charging an electric vehicle includes: a charging inlet configured to receive power and charging information from an electric vehicle supply equipment (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 a battery of the electric vehicle according to the control signal of the control module.

[0010] The control module may include: a selector configured to determine a charging mode based on charging information received from a charging inlet; a switching unit configured to select a task unit corresponding to the selected charging mode based on information from the selector; and a plurality of task units configured to output control signals corresponding to different charging modes so that charging under different charging modes is performed.

[0011] The charging information may include one or more selected from the group consisting of: cable information, charging type information, charging voltage / current information, rated voltage, and charging time information.

[0012] The different charging modes may include two or more selected from the group consisting of a combo mode, a first combination type mode, a second combination type mode, a CHAdeMO mode, an AC three-phase mode, and a GB / T (China DC) mode.

[0013] The switching part may include one selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), a gate turn off (GTO) thyristor, an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), and a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR).

[0014] The apparatus for charging an electric vehicle may further include an inverter.

[0015] The apparatus for charging an electric vehicle may further include a communicator configured to communicate with the EVSE.

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

[0017] The charging information may include one or more selected from the group consisting of: cable information, charging type information, charging voltage / current information, rated voltage, and charging time information.

[0018] The charging mode may include one or more selected from the group consisting of a combination mode, a first combination type mode, a second combination type mode, a CHAdeMO mode, an AC three-phase mode, and a GB / T (China DC) mode.

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

[0020] The first communication channel and the second communication channel may be based on different protocols from each other.

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

[0022] A protocol of the first communication channel may comply with a combined charging system (CCS) standard, and a protocol of the second communication channel may comply with a CHArge de Move (CHAdeMo) standard or a China EV charging standard.

[0023] The third communication channel may be based on a protocol supporting CAN.

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

[0025] The charging device may also provide a proximity detection (PD) port for detecting proximity of the charging cable to the connector and a protective earth (PE) port connected to the ground of the EVSE.

[0026] Beneficial Effects

[0027] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the charge control device and the charging device are provided to be generally applicable without being limited to a specific standard. Therefore, the time and cost required for developing the charge control device and the charging device can be reduced, and the components can also be simplified. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

[0029] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram for describing the concept of the present invention.

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

[0031] Figure 4 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 a control module (120) in an electric vehicle charging device (100) according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Figure 6 It is a view for describing an operation of charging an electric vehicle charging apparatus (100) connected to an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) (20) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

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

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

[0036] Fig.10 is a block diagram illustrating a charge controller in more detail according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The present disclosure allows various changes and has many embodiments, so exemplary embodiments will be shown in the drawings and described. However, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments, but all modifications, equivalents and alternatives can be made without departing from the concept and technical scope of the present disclosure.

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

[0039] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to another element, or there may be intervening elements. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0040] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", "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, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or increase of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

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

[0042] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout and repeated description will be avoided.

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

[0044] Will refer to Figure 1Describe the entire process of charging an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle includes a battery, and the battery can be directly or indirectly connected to an external electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) 20. EVSE 20 can receive power from a power source (or energy source) and supply power to the electric vehicle. Generally, the power source includes a power grid such as a power company for power generation and supply, a device capable of power generation and / or supply other than the power grid, and any power source as long as it can supply power to EVSE 20. For example, a power transmission / distribution mechanism 1 and a renewable energy generator 2 can be regarded as power sources. For example, the power transmission / distribution mechanism 1 may include a power station responsible for supplying main power. In addition, the renewable energy generator 2 may include a power recovery device, which includes a distributed power source and a power storage system to generate auxiliary power. EVSE 20 can be associated with a smart grid (or smart power grid), which means a next-generation power system and its management system realized by the fusion and combination between the recently growing modern power technology and information and communication technology.

[0045] At the same time, the central management server 5 manages the main and / or auxiliary power enterprise operators and EVSE 20 so that they are associated with each other. Specifically, the central management server 5 receives a power supply request from the EVSE, and in response to the received power supply request, manages the power supplied from the main and / or auxiliary power enterprise operators to the EVSE. In this process, the central management server 5 can support and provide all necessary infrastructure, such as communication protocols, etc., for supplying / receiving power between the charging machine and the main and / or auxiliary power enterprise operators. EVSE 20 may also include a local server 7 that communicates 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 the power demand / supply based on the power demand / supply degree, bill-related information, etc. in the above-mentioned smart grid environment. The local server 7 provides an infrastructure so that necessary information can be collected and transmitted between the power supply and the electric vehicle, and various control operations can be performed based on the information. For example, when the EVSE 20 is connected to the electric vehicle, the local server 7 can receive additional information from the electric vehicle. The local server 7 can request the power supply 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, the power enterprise operator, and the device for charging the battery of the electric vehicle. The EVSE 20 includes a coupler as a connector, which is directly connected to the inlet provided in the electric vehicle and supplies power thereto, so that information about the electric vehicle can be transmitted to the local server 7 through the connection between the inlet and the coupler, and the power received by the power supply can be supplied to the electric vehicle through the coupler based on the transmitted information, thereby charging the battery of the electric vehicle.

[0046] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram for describing the concept of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the electric vehicle charging apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure may be installed inside an electric vehicle (EV) 10. The electric vehicle charging apparatus 100 may be connected to an external EVSE having different charging modes. Figure 2 The embodiment shows that the electric vehicle charging apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure can be connected to EVSE C1 of a first charging mode, EVSE C2 of a second charging mode, and EVSE C3 of a third charging mode. Although not shown, EVSEs having different charging modes from each other may be integrated into a single device.

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

[0048] Reference Figure 3, the EV 10 can be charged from the EVSE 20. To this end, a charging cable connected to the EVSE 20 can be connected to the inlet of the EV 10. Here, the EVSE 20 refers to a device for supplying alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC), which can be placed at a charging station or at home, or can be portable. The EVSE 20 can be used interchangeably with power supply, AC power supply, DC power supply, socket-outlet, etc.

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

[0050] The fast charging standards of the charging device 100 of the EV 10 are roughly divided into the combined charging system (CCS) standard and the CHArgeing de Move (CHAdeMO) standard.

[0051] Among the above standards, the CCS standard refers to a standard that introduces power line communication (PLC) into a combined charging port, in which a DC charging port and an AC charging port are integrated into one port, and has taken the lead in the United States and Europe. In addition, the CHAdeMO standard refers to a standard that separates a DC charging port from an AC charging port, and has taken the lead in Japan. In addition, China has also independently established a fast charging standard for EVs.

[0052] One embodiment of the present disclosure seeks to provide a charging device 100 that is capable of supporting all of the various standards.

[0053] Figure 4 1 is a block diagram of an electric vehicle charging apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric vehicle charging apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be installed inside a vehicle such as an EV, but is not limited thereto.

[0054] Reference Figure 4 , an electric vehicle charging device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a charging inlet 110, a control module 120 and a charger 130, and is connected to a battery 300. The charging inlet 110 is used as a connector connected to an external EVSE. That is, for example, the charging inlet 110 can be connected to a plug connector, a coupler, etc. of an external EVSE 20, and receive power from the EVSE. For example, the charging inlet 110 can be connected to an external EVSE in a wired manner using a cable, etc., but is not limited to this. The charging inlet 110 can be directly or indirectly connected to an external EVSE in a wired / wireless manner. In addition, 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 inlet 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 a task unit 126 corresponding to the EVSE information received from the charging inlet 110, and controls the selected task unit 126 to output a control signal. The control module 120 may send a control signal to the charger 130 and / or the charging inlet 110. Figure 4 The detailed configuration and operation of the control module 120 are described in detail.

[0056] The charger 130 may charge the battery 300 under a predetermined charging condition based on a control signal received from the control module 120. In this case, the control signal applied to the charger 130 may be changed according to which task section 126 is selected in the control module 120, and thus the charging condition of the charger 130 may also be changed. For example, the charging condition may include voltage information, current information, charging time information, etc. Meanwhile, the charger 130 may be directly or indirectly connected to the charging inlet 110. In this case, the charging inlet 110 may receive a control signal from the control module 120 and transmit the received control signal to the charger 130.

[0057] The battery 300 may be directly or indirectly connected to the charger 130 and charged under a predetermined condition. Although not shown, the battery 300 may further include a discharger (not shown) to discharge as needed.

[0058] Although not shown, the electric vehicle charging apparatus 100 may further include an inverter for converting AC / DC. In addition, the electric vehicle charging apparatus 100 may further include a communicator (not shown) to communicate with an external device.

[0059] Figure 5 FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the control module 120 in the electric vehicle charging device 100 according to the present disclosure. Figure 5 , the control module 120 of the electric vehicle charging device 100 will be described. As shown in the figure, the control module 120 includes a selector 122, a switch 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, Figure 5 As shown, the task unit 126 may include a first charging mode task unit 126 a , a second charging mode task unit 126 b , and a third charging mode task unit 126 c , but is not limited thereto.

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

[0061] Next, an example of determining the task unit 126 by the selector 122 will be described. For example, in a case where the first charging mode is the combined charging mode, the second charging mode is the CHAdeMO charging mode, and the third charging mode is the AC three-phase charging mode, when the connector information of the EVSE 20 collected by the charging inlet 110 indicates a first connector capable of using both DC power and single-phase AC power, the selector 122 may determine the first charging mode task unit 126a as the corresponding task unit based on the information. In addition, when the connector information of the EVSE 20 collected by the charging inlet 110 indicates a second connector using DC power, the selector 122 may determine the second charging mode task unit 126b as the corresponding task unit based on the information. In addition, when the connector information of the EVSE 20 collected by the charging inlet 110 indicates a third connector using AC three-phase power, the selector 122 may determine the third charging mode task unit 126c as the corresponding task unit based on the information.

[0062] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for helping to understand the present disclosure, and thus the connector information is not limited to the above-described embodiments but can be applied to any connector to be developed in the future.

[0063] As described above, the task unit 126 may include task units whose modes are different from each other. Figure 5, 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. As described above, EV has various types of charging, such as combined charging, CHAdeMO type charging, AC three-phase charging, etc., and the task units 126 with different modes from each other are able to perform charging in different ways. For example, the first charging mode task unit 126a may perform combined charging, the second charging mode task unit 126b may perform CHAdeMO type charging, and the third charging mode task unit 126c may perform AC three-phase charging. However, the above description is merely one embodiment of the present disclosure, and it will therefore be apparent that the type of charging performed in each task unit varies depending on the design purpose and use.

[0064] Here, the task unit 126 may be operated by software appropriately designed for different types of charging. For example, the first charging mode task unit 126a may be operated by software designed for combined charging, the second charging mode task unit 126b may be operated by software designed for CHAdeMO type charging, and the third charging mode task unit 126c may be operated by software designed for AC three-phase type charging. The task unit 126 being operated by software appropriately designed for each corresponding type of charging means that the task unit 126 outputs a control signal for charging the EV 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 so that the EV can 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, charging time conditions, etc. can be set by user input according to the design purpose and use. Similarly, when the second charging mode is CHAdeMO type charging, the second charging mode task unit 126b outputs a control signal so that the EV can be charged in CHAdeMO mode. In addition, when the third charging mode is AC three-phase charging, the third charging mode task unit 126c outputs a control signal so that the EV can be charged using three-phase AC power supplied from a power source (not shown).

[0066] In the above-mentioned embodiment, only for the convenience of description, the task unit 126 of the electric vehicle charging system according to the present 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 number of charging modes and task units handled by the task unit in the electric vehicle charging system according to the present disclosure is not limited to the number of charging modes and task units in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0067] Figure 6 2 is a diagram for describing an operation of charging the electric vehicle charging device 100 connected to the EVSE 20 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 The operation of the elements is described, and repeated descriptions will be omitted. The charging inlet 110 is connected to the EVSE 20, and charging information from the EVSE 20 is collected. In this case, the collected charging information may be sent to the selector 122 through the detection line. The switching unit 124 and the charging inlet 110 may be connected through a charging communication line. In addition, the charging inlet 110 may be connected to the charger 130 through a charging line. In addition, the charging inlet 110 may be connected to the selector 122 through a detection line.

[0068] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for charging an EV according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 As shown, the method for charging an EV according to the present disclosure includes the following operations: collecting charging information (S100), determining a charging mode (S200), and performing charging (S300). As described above, charging information (S100) is collected from the connected external EVSE, and the charging information includes 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 (S200) is determined. 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 the charging mode is determined, the battery of the EV is charged in the corresponding charging mode (S300).

[0069] Meanwhile, the communication method between the EVSE 20 and the charging device 100 may be changed according to the standard. For example, in the case of the CCS standard, PLC is used for communication between the EVSE 20 and the charging device 100, and in the case of the CHAdeMo standard and the China EV charging standard, a controller area network (CAN) is used for communication between the EVSE 20 and the charging device 100.

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

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

[0072] Reference Figure 8, the charging inlet 110 of the charging device 100 for the 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 a port for receiving a CP signal through a charging cable connected to the EVSE.

[0074] The PD port is a port for sensing the proximity of a charging cable to a connector.

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

[0076] The charging controller 140 controls 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, the switch section 124, and the task section 126 in the control module 120. Alternatively, the charging controller 140 may be provided separately from the control module 120 and operate independently.

[0077] The charging controller 140 may include a pilot function (PF) logic for processing a pilot function received through the CP port and a proximity detection (PD) logic for detecting whether a connector of the EVSE 20 is inserted using a signal received through the PD port.

[0078] When the charging controller 140 receives a signal through the CP port and receives a signal through the PD port, the charging controller 140 controls the charger 130 connected to the power input port so that the battery 300 can receive charging power from the EVSE 20. The charging controller 140 may be used interchangeably with an electric vehicle communication controller (EVCC).

[0079] Reference Fig. 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 through the first communication channel 142 and the 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 protocol. For example, the first communication channel 142 may be based on a protocol supporting 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 supporting a controller area network (CAN).

[0081] In addition, the control unit 148 is connected to the first communication channel 142 and the second communication channel 144, and generates a signal for controlling battery charging by using a signal 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 protocol supporting PLC, and when a signal is received through the second communication channel 144, the control unit 148 processes the signal according to a protocol supporting CAN.

[0082] Therefore, the charging device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can support all representative standards for charging EVs, namely, the combined charging system (CCS) standard, the CHAdeMo (CHAdeMo) standard, and the China EV charging standard, because it can be connected to the EVSE 20 through the first communication channel 142 according to the CCS standard, or connected to the EVSE 20 through the second communication channel 144 according to CHAdeMo or the China 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 may be the same EVSE or different EVSEs. For example, one EVSE may include all interfaces that comply with the CCS standard, the CHAdeMo standard, and the China EV charging standard, or may include one of the interfaces that comply with the CCS standard, the CHAdeMo standard, and the China EV charging standard.

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

[0084] Fig.10 is a block diagram illustrating a charge controller in more detail according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] Reference Fig.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. In addition, the first communication channel 142 is based on a protocol supporting PLC, and the second communication channel 144 and the third communication channel 146 are based on a protocol supporting CAN.

[0086] To this end, the first communication channel 142 may include a matching block and a Home Plug Green PHY (HPGP) modem. The first communication channel 142 may use the matching block to match a signal to be received from or transmitted to the EVSE 20 and use the HPGP modem to perform PLC communication.

[0087] In addition, the control unit 148 may generate a control signal for battery charging by processing a signal 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 protocol supporting PLC, and when a signal is received through the second communication channel 144, the control unit 148 processes the signal according to a protocol supporting CAN.

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

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

[0090] For example, the charge controller 140 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may further 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 stops or the charge controller 140 is in a sleep mode, backup power may be supplied to the charge controller 140.

[0091] In addition, the charging controller 140 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a fourth communication channel 192 to be connected to the diagnostic section 400 of the EV 10. In this case, the fourth communication channel 192 may be based on a protocol supporting CAN. Therefore, a signal is sent from the diagnostic section 400 of the EV 10 to the charging controller 140 via the fourth communication channel 192, thereby controlling the charging device 100. In addition, the signal generated by the charging controller 140 is sent to the diagnostic section 400 of the EV 10 via the fourth communication channel 192, so that the diagnostic section 400 can diagnose a fault or abnormality of the charging device 100 based on the received signal.

[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 may be integrated into a single communication channel.

[0093] In addition, the charging controller 140 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a device control unit (control and driver) 194, which can be connected to the charging-related devices 500 (among the vehicle sensors and controllable functions) of the EV 10. 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 a malfunction or abnormality of the charging-related devices 500.

[0094] In addition, the charging controller 140 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a safety control unit (safety circuit) 196 that can be connected to a safety-related device (safety function 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 device 600 of the EV 10, thereby controlling the safety-related device 600 of the EV 10 or sensing a malfunction or abnormality of the safety-related device 600.

[0095] In addition, the charging controller 140 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a sensor control unit 198, which may be connected to the sensor 700 of the EV 10. The sensor control unit 198 transmits a signal 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 malfunction or abnormality of the sensor 700.

[0096] While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept, which is defined in the following claims and their equivalents.

[0097] [Explanation of Reference Numerals]

[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] Item 1. A device for charging an electric vehicle, the device comprising:

[0103] a charging inlet configured to receive power and charging information from electric vehicle 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 is configured to charge the battery of the electric vehicle according to a control signal from the control module.

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

[0107] a selector configured to determine the charging mode based on charging information received from the charging inlet;

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

[0109] A plurality of task units are configured to output control signals corresponding to different charging modes so that charging in the different charging modes is performed.

[0110] Item 3. The device according to Item 1, wherein the charging information includes one or more selected from the group consisting of: cable information, charging type information, charging voltage / current information, rated voltage, and charging time information.

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

[0112] Item 5. The device according to Item 2, wherein the switching unit includes one selected from the group consisting of: a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), a gate turn-off (GTO) thyristor, an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), and a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR).

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

[0114] Item 7. The apparatus of Item 1, further comprising a communicator configured to communicate with the EVSE.

[0115] Item 8. The device according to Item 1, further comprising:

[0116] a first communication channel configured to connect with the EVSE;

[0117] a second communication channel configured to connect with the EVSE;

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

[0119] A charging controller comprising a control unit connected to the first communication channel, the second communication channel and the third communication channel, the control unit being configured to generate a signal for controlling battery charging using a signal received through the first communication channel or the second communication channel, and being 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. An 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 a controller area network (CAN).

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

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

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

[0125] determining a charging mode based on the charging information; and

[0126] Charging of the electric vehicle is performed according to the determined charging mode.

[0127] Item 13. The method according to Item 12, wherein the charging information includes one or more selected from the group consisting of: 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 selected from the group consisting of: a combination mode, a first combination mode, a second combination mode, a CHAdeMO mode, an AC three-phase mode, and a GB / T (China DC) mode.

Claims

1. A charging control method for an electric vehicle, comprising: receiving a first signal from electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) through a communication unit; determining, by a control unit, a charging mode based on a first signal received through a charging inlet and the communication unit; generating a second signal for controlling charging of the battery according to the determined charging mode; as well as controlling a switch to allow the battery to receive power based on the second signal output according to the charging mode, Wherein, the communication unit includes a first communication channel and a second communication channel, wherein the first signal is received through the first communication channel or the second communication channel, Wherein, the switch is connected to the power input port.

2. The charging control method according to claim 1, further comprising: The second signal is transmitted to an electronic control unit ECU in the electric vehicle through a third communication channel configured to be connected with the ECU.

3. The charging control method according to claim 1, further comprising: The DC is converted to AC by an inverter to charge the battery.

4. The charging control method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive CP signal through CP port; as well as Detect the proximity of the charging cable through the PD port. The CP signal received through the CP port is sent through the first communication channel and the second communication channel.

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