Charging system

Abstract

The invention provides a charging system, and the system comprises a charging device which is used for charging electrical equipment through a power supply line; the current detection device is used for detecting electricity utilization current in the power supply line; the control device is used for acquiring the detected electricity current from the current detection device, setting rated current of the power supply line and sending control data to the charging device, and the control data comprises current data corresponding to the electricity current and the rated current. Wherein the charging device communicates with the control device through a power line carrier PLC, and the charging device adjusts the charging current of the charging device according to the control data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging system, and more particularly to a charging system capable of automatically adjusting the charging current of a charging device. Background Art

[0002] With the popularization of electric vehicles, household charging piles for charging electric vehicles are increasingly used. However, when household loads are turned on, a charging pile without a current controller or a power controller may cause problems of overloading household electricity due to continuous charging at the maximum power, resulting in tripping of the circuit breaker or other safety hazards. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a charging system capable of automatically adjusting the charging current of a charging device, which can make the charging device in a better working state and avoid overloading of electricity consumption. Moreover, the present disclosure communicates through power line carrier (PLC), avoiding the trouble of additional wiring. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure can reduce the problem of network congestion and thus control failure caused by limited communication bandwidth by setting the communication rules of the PLC. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure avoid incorrect control caused by the charging device using incorrect current control data through the pairing of the control device and the charging device.

[0004] The present disclosure provides a charging system, including: a charging device for charging an electrical device using a power supply line; a current detection device for detecting the current consumption in the power supply line; and a control device for obtaining the detected current consumption from the current detection device and setting the rated current of the power supply line, and sending control data to the charging device, the control data including current data corresponding to the current consumption and the rated current, wherein communication between the charging device and the control device is performed using power line carrier (PLC), and the charging device adjusts the charging current of the charging device according to the control data.

[0005] Optionally, the control device does not send the control data when the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0006] Optionally, the control device does not send the control data when the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is less than a predetermined threshold and the time interval from the previous sending of the control data is less than a predetermined interval.

[0007] Optionally, when the absolute value of the difference between the power consumption current and the rated current is greater than the predetermined threshold and the power consumption current is greater than the rated current, the control device sets the control data to a high priority and sends the control data at a first period; and when the absolute value of the difference between the power consumption current and the rated current is greater than the predetermined threshold and the power consumption current is less than the rated current, the control device sets the control data to a low priority and sends the control data at a second period, where the first period is less than the second period.

[0008] Optionally, the control data further includes priority data indicating the priority of the control data.

[0009] Optionally, before sending the control data, the control device monitors interference data sent by other control devices having a PLC communication relationship with the control device, where the interference data has the same data format as the control data; when the control device detects interference data with the high priority, if the control data to be sent has the high priority, the control device sends the control data after delaying for a first time, and if the control data to be sent has the low priority, the control device sends the control data after delaying for a second time, where the first time is less than the second time.

[0010] Optionally, the number of times of continuously delaying the first time is not higher than a first threshold; and the number of times of continuously delaying the second time is not higher than a second threshold.

[0011] Optionally, before sending the control data to the charging device, the control device first performs a pairing process with the charging device.

[0012] Optionally, the pairing process includes: the control device sends a pairing request frame to the charging device, where the source address of the pairing request frame is the address of the control device and the destination address of the pairing request frame is the broadcast address; the charging device sends a pairing response frame to the control device, where the source address of the pairing response frame is the address of the charging device and the destination address of the pairing response frame is the address of the control device; and the control device sends a pairing confirmation frame to the charging device, where the source address of the pairing confirmation frame is the address of the control device and the destination address of the pairing confirmation frame is the address of the charging device.

[0013] Optionally, the pairing process further includes: after receiving the pairing response frame, the control device generates a random key, encrypts the random key using an encryption algorithm to generate a ciphertext, and the ciphertext is carried in the pairing confirmation frame; after receiving the matching confirmation frame, the charging device decrypts the ciphertext using a decryption algorithm to generate a decoded key corresponding to the random key, generates a first verification code using the decoded key, and sends a pairing completion frame to the control device, the pairing completion frame carries the first verification code, the source address of the pairing completion frame is the address of the charging device, and the destination address of the pairing completion frame is the address of the control device; and after receiving the pairing completion frame, the control device generates a second verification code using the random key and verifies whether the first verification code is the same as the second verification code. If they are the same, the pairing process is completed.

[0014] Optionally, the charging device adjusts the charging current according to the following formula: I_ev = Ir - (I_ct - I_evse), where I_ev is the adjusted charging current, I_ct is the power consumption current, Ir is the rated current, and I_evse is the charging current before adjustment.

[0015] Optionally, when the power supply line is a polyphase power supply line, the current detection device detects the power consumption current of each phase in the power supply line.

[0016] Optionally, the charging device determines the charging current to be adjusted according to the power consumption current of each phase, and uses the smallest charging current to be adjusted among all phases as the charging current for charging the electrical device.

[0017] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a charging system based on PLC communication that combines a charging device, a current detection device, and a control device, which has at least the following advantages: it can automatically adjust the charging current of the charging device; using PLC communication can avoid the trouble of additional wiring; it reduces the possibility of PLC network congestion without affecting the safety and efficiency of the power supply line, thereby reducing the risk of control failure; it avoids control errors caused by the charging device wrongly using the control data of other control devices to adjust the charging current. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Through the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the drawings, aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become clearer and easier to understand, where:

[0019] Figure 1 Shows a schematic structural diagram of a charging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2Shows a schematic diagram of an application scenario including multiple charging systems according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3 Shows a schematic diagram of avoidance processing for a situation where control data to be sent soon has a high priority according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4 Shows a schematic diagram of avoidance processing for a situation where control data to be sent soon has a low priority according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 5 Shows a schematic flowchart of the pairing process between a control device and a charging device in a charging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0024] The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein and can be implemented in many different forms. The described embodiments are only used to make the present disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. The features of the described embodiments can be combined with each other or replaced, unless explicitly excluded or excluded according to the context.

[0025] In a household power system, it may be necessary to charge electrical devices that need to be charged, such as electric vehicles, through a charging device such as a charging pile. At the same time, in a household power system, there are also common electrical devices, for example, lighting devices, air conditioners, refrigerators, water heaters, etc. The household power system has a load upper limit. When the total load exceeds the load upper limit, it may cause the circuit breaker to trip or other safety hazards. The number of electrical devices turned on at different times or the power consumption of the electrical devices is different. For example, more lighting is turned on at night, or the water heater is temporarily turned on when taking a bath at night. In this case, if the charging device always charges the electrical device with a fixed current, it may cause the total load of the household power system to exceed the load upper limit when the electrical device consumes more power, and the charging efficiency is low when the electrical device consumes less power.

[0026] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a charging system capable of automatically adjusting the charging current. Moreover, the charging system of the present disclosure uses PLC for communication, avoiding the trouble of additional wiring. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure also reduce the risk of network congestion and subsequent control failure caused by limited communication bandwidth by setting the communication rules of the PLC. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure avoid incorrect control caused by the charging device using incorrect current control data through the pairing of the control device and the charging device. It should be noted that the charging system in the present disclosure is not limited to a household power system and can be applied to any system that requires charging and also has other electrical equipment, such as the power system in a factory; the electrical equipment to be charged in the present disclosure is not limited to an electric vehicle and includes any electrical equipment that can be charged, such as a storage battery.

[0027] Figure 1 FIG. 4 shows a schematic structural diagram of a charging system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] As Figure 1 shown, the charging system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a charging device 110, a current detection device 120, and a control device 130. The charging system 100 is arranged in a power supply line 170. The power supply line 170 is used to supply power to electrical equipment connected thereto and the electrical equipment to be charged. In Figure 1 FIG. 4, the electrical equipment to be charged is marked as electrical equipment 150. The electrical equipment 150 is connected to the charging device 110 and is charged by the charging device 110. The electrical equipment is marked as a load 160, which can be any electrical equipment, such as household appliances, production equipment in a factory, etc. It should be noted that although Figure 1 in FIG. 4, the load 160 is connected downstream of the charging device 110, this is only for illustration. The load 160 does not need to be powered by the charging device 110 and can be directly connected to the power supply line 170, and it can be upstream or downstream of the charging device 110. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the charging device 110 is used to charge the electrical equipment 150 using the power supply line 170. For example, the charging device 110 can convert alternating current into direct current and use the converted direct current to charge the electrical equipment 150 such as an electric vehicle.

[0029] The power supply line 170 in the present disclosure can be a single-phase line or a polyphase line. It can be, for example, the main line connected below a household electricity meter or a branch line. A circuit breaker 140 can be deployed at the starting end of the power supply line 170 to provide protection functions such as overload protection for the power supply line 170. Of course, for the present disclosure, the circuit breaker 140 is not necessary.

[0030] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the current detection device 120 is configured to detect the current consumed by the power supply line 170, that is, the total current in the power supply line 170 detected by the current detection device 120 includes the current consumed by the load 160 and the current consumed by the electrical device 150. The current detection device 120 is arranged upstream of all power-consuming devices (including the load 160 and the electrical device 150). For example, it can be arranged at the starting end of the power supply line 170, for example, near the circuit breaker 140. In Figure 1 , the current detection device 120 is located upstream of the circuit breaker 140. Obviously, it can also be located downstream of the circuit breaker 140. The current detection device 120 can be any device capable of detecting current. For example, a current transformer. In the case where the power supply line is a multi-phase power supply line, the current detection device 120 can detect the current consumed by each phase of the power supply line. For example, the current detection device 120 can include three current transformers to detect the current consumed by each phase respectively. As another implementation manner, in the case of a multi-phase power supply line, it is also possible to detect only the current of one phase and perform subsequent control based on the current of one phase. In the context of the present disclosure, the direction of "upstream" or "downstream" is based on the direction of power supply. The direction of the power supply end is upstream, and the direction of the power consumption end is downstream.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control device 130 is configured to obtain the detected current consumed by the current detection device 120 and set the rated current of the power supply line 170, and send control data to the charging device 110. The control data includes current data corresponding to the current consumed by the current detection device 120 and the rated current. The control device 130 can be a microcontroller, a single-chip microcomputer, a microcomputer, or any other device or apparatus that can be programmed to implement control functions in a digital manner. The control device 130 can control the charging device 110 according to the current detected by the current detection device 120. Specifically, on the one hand, the control device 130 can obtain the detected current consumed by the current detection device 120 through any wired (such as twisted pair) or wireless (such as Bluetooth) means. On the other hand, the control device 130 can set the rated current of the power supply line 170. The rated current is a current limit related to the load capacity of the power supply line 170. Generally, the total load of the power supply line should be lower than the rated current or slightly exceed the rated current. The rated current can be set in various ways. For example, the user can write the corresponding rated current to the control device 130 through a computer, or the control device 130 is provided with a physical setting interface (such as a dial key), and the user can set it manually.

[0032] After obtaining the current for power consumption and the rated current, the control device 130 can send control data to the charging device 110 in a predetermined data format. The control data includes current data corresponding to the current for power consumption and the rated current. The charging device 110 can adjust the charging current of the charging device 110 according to the control data. For example, if the current for power consumption is higher than the rated current, the charging current is decreased; if the current for power consumption is lower than the rated current, the charging current is increased. Thus, automatic control of the charging current can be achieved, avoiding tripping or other hazards caused by an excessive load in the power supply line 170. In the case where the power supply line is a multi-phase power supply line, control can be based on the current values of all phases. For example, ensuring that the current for power consumption in each phase does not exceed the rated current; or, control can also be based on the current value of only one phase, assuming that the currents in each phase are similar.

[0033] For example, after the charging device 110 obtains the current for power consumption I_ct and the rated current Ir provided by the control device 130, the charging current I_ev can be adjusted to: I_ev = Ir - (I_ct - I_evse), where I_evse is the charging current before adjustment by the charging device 110. In this formula, I_ct - I_evse represents the load current other than the charging current at present. Therefore, the sum of the adjusted charging current I_ev and the load current is equal to the rated current Ir, thereby achieving safe and efficient charging. In the case where the power supply line is a multi-phase power supply line, the calculation can be performed for each phase according to the above formula, and the minimum value among the results of multiple phases can be used as the adjusted charging current. In other words, in the case where the power supply line is a multi-phase power supply line, the charging device determines the charging current to be adjusted according to the current for power consumption in each phase, and uses the smallest charging current to be adjusted among all phases as the charging current for charging the electrical device. As another embodiment, the above formula can be calculated only for one phase, and the calculation result can be used as the adjusted charging current.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, PLC is used for communication between the charging device 110 and the control device 130, thereby avoiding additional wiring. As Figure 1 shown, both the control device 130 and the charging device 110 are connected to the power supply line. The power supply line serves not only as a medium for power transmission but also as a medium for communication. For example, the control device 130 can be arranged near the downstream of the circuit breaker 140 to facilitate receiving the signal from the current detection device 120; the charging device 110 is arranged at a position near the downstream of the power supply line and close to the electrical device 150. It should be noted that in some embodiments, in addition to obtaining the above current data, the control device 130 can also obtain other data. For example, the control device 130 can also obtain the voltage of the power supply line, and if necessary, the voltage data can also be included in the control data and sent to the charging device 110.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a charging system based on PLC communication is provided, which combines a charging device, a current detection device and a control device, and can automatically adjust the charging current of the charging device so that the charging device is in a better working state and avoids power overload; and communication through PLC can avoid the trouble of additional wiring.

[0036] Furthermore, the communication bandwidth of PLC is relatively low. If multiple charging systems are arranged within the effective transmission distance of PLC, network congestion may occur, which may lead to control failure. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the possibility of network congestion is reduced by setting transmission rules such as avoidance for the data transmission of the control device, thereby improving the robustness of charging control.

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an application scenario including multiple charging systems according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 In order to illustrate the problem of PLC transmission, only the control device and the charging device are shown, and the current detection device is omitted.

[0038] If Figure 2 As shown, multiple control devices 211, 221, 231, 241, 251 and multiple charging devices 212, 222, 232, 242, 252 of multiple charging systems are arranged at a relatively close distance, for example, these devices are devices of neighbors. Therefore, when there are more than two devices sending data at the same time within the effective transmission distance of PLC (for example, 200 meters), network congestion will occur, resulting in failure of data transmission, which may lead to failure of charging control. For example, assuming that the control device and the charging device adjust the charging power by transmitting data, the transmission time is 1 second, and in order to reduce the charging power in time, the data transmission interval between the control device and the charging device is set to 2 seconds, then when multiple groups of devices communicate, network congestion will inevitably occur, resulting in failure of some data to be sent in time, which may cause the circuit breaker to overload and trip.

[0039] In some embodiments, the control device does not send control data when the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is less than a predetermined threshold. When the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is less than the predetermined threshold, it indicates that the current consumption is close to the rated current, and the load on the power supply line is in a better state, and there is no need to adjust the charging current. In this case, not sending control data can reduce the possibility of network congestion while not affecting the safety and efficiency of the power supply line. The above-mentioned threshold can be set according to factors such as the load capacity of the power supply line, as long as it is ensured that the power supply line can work safely below this threshold. For example, this threshold can be set to 1A. In the case where the power supply line is a multi-phase line, in some examples, it is considered that the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is less than the predetermined threshold only when the absolute values of the differences between the current consumptions of all phases and the rated current are less than the predetermined threshold; in other examples, when the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption of one phase and the rated current is less than the predetermined threshold, it is considered that the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is less than the predetermined threshold.

[0040] In some embodiments, the control device does not send control data when the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is less than a predetermined threshold and the time interval since the previous sending of control data is less than a predetermined interval. In this embodiment, the control device generally does not send control data when the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is less than the predetermined threshold. However, in order to avoid the charging device being unable to determine whether the control device is working properly due to not sending data for a long time, the control device needs to send data to the charging device at regular intervals. The above-mentioned predetermined interval can be set according to actual needs, and it can be set relatively long to reduce the possibility of network congestion. For example, it can be set to 10 minutes.

[0041] In some embodiments, to further reduce the likelihood of network congestion, the control device divides the control data to be sent into high-priority and low-priority data, and sends the high-priority control data at a higher transmission frequency (i.e., a smaller transmission period). Specifically, when the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is greater than a predetermined threshold and the current consumption is greater than the rated current, the control device sets the control data as high-priority and sends the control data at a first period. That the current consumption is greater than the rated current indicates that the power supply line is overloaded and the charging current needs to be immediately reduced. Therefore, the corresponding control data is of high priority and needs to be sent at a smaller period (higher frequency). When the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is greater than a predetermined threshold and the current consumption is less than the rated current, the control device sets the control data as low-priority and sends the control data at a second period. That the current consumption is less than the rated current indicates that the power supply line is not overloaded and only the charging current needs to be increased to improve the charging speed, which is not urgent. Therefore, the corresponding control data is of low priority and can be sent at a larger period (lower frequency), that is, the above-mentioned first period is less than the second period. In this way, both the likelihood of network congestion can be reduced and the real-time performance and robustness of charging control can be improved. The values of the first period and the second period can be set according to specific applications. For example, the first period is set to 2 seconds and the second period is set to 30 seconds.

[0042] In the case where the power supply line is a multi-phase line, in some examples, as long as the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption of one phase and the rated current is greater than a predetermined threshold, it is considered that the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is greater than the predetermined threshold; in other examples, it can be required that the absolute values of the differences between the current consumptions of all phases and the rated currents are all greater than a predetermined threshold before it is considered that the absolute value of the difference between the current consumption and the rated current is greater than the predetermined threshold.

[0043] It should be noted that the above-mentioned periodic sending of control data does not mean sending the same data periodically, but sending the most recently acquired data at the corresponding time points. For example, the control device continuously acquires the current values sent by the current detection device. When the acquired current value belongs to low-priority data, the low-priority data is sent. Then, if low-priority data is continuously acquired, the low-priority data is sent again after the time length of the second period. The low-priority data includes the data corresponding to the most recently acquired current. If the control device acquires a current value corresponding to high priority during this period, the control device switches to sending the high-priority data. Then, if high-priority data is continuously acquired, the high-priority data is sent again after the time length of the first period. The high-priority data includes the data corresponding to the most recently acquired current.

[0044] In some embodiments, the control data may include priority data indicating the priority of the control data. In this way, when the control data is received by other devices, they can know its priority so as to arrange the transmission of their own data.

[0045] In some embodiments, in order to further reduce the possibility of network congestion, before sending the control data, the control device monitors interference data sent by other control devices having a PLC communication relationship with the control device, and the interference data has the same data format as the control data. When the control device detects interference data with the high priority, if the control data to be sent has the high priority, the control data is sent after a first delay; if the control data to be sent has the low priority, the control data is sent after a second delay, and the first delay is less than the second delay.

[0046] According to this embodiment, the control device adopts an avoidance mechanism when sending control data, and different avoidance rules are adopted for data with different priorities. Specifically, as Figure 2 shown, there may be multiple control devices in the power network that need to send data, and the data sent by one control device may be received by another control device, that is, there is a PLC communication relationship between the two. The fact that the two have a PLC communication relationship means that they are within the effective communication range of the PLC. For example, for control device 211, it may receive control data sent by control device 221, and this control data is interference data for control device 211. Before sending its own data, control device 211 first monitors whether there is data sent by other controls on the network. If there is data (interference data) sent by other control devices and the interference data has the high priority, control device 211 needs to perform transmission avoidance, that is, delay for a period of time before sending. The interference data having the high priority indicates that it may be sent at a high frequency. Thus, in order to reduce the congestion degree of data on the network, control device 211 can delay sending its own data. At the same time, according to the priority of the data to be sent by control device 211, different delays can be set. If the data to be sent has the high priority, indicating that it needs to be sent urgently, the delay is shorter; if the data to be sent has the low priority, indicating that it does not need to be sent urgently, the delay is longer.

[0047] Through the above avoidance mechanism, the embodiments of the present disclosure can reduce the possibility of network congestion, and at the same time can ensure that high-priority data is sent first, thereby realizing the real-time performance and robustness of charging control.

[0048] The following combines Figure 3 and Figure 4 to exemplarily illustrate the data avoidance processing of the control device when detecting interference data with the high priority.

[0049] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing data avoidance processing for the case where the control data to be sent soon has a high priority according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] As Figure 3 shown, the control device first sent high-priority control data 1 at time point t1, and it should have sent high-priority control data 2 again at time point t2 in the next cycle. However, interference data with a high priority was received before sending high-priority control data 2. Therefore, high-priority control data 2 is not sent at time point t2, but high-priority control data 3 is sent at time point t3 after delaying for the first time (2 s). In this example, the first time is 2 seconds.

[0051] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing data avoidance processing for the case where the control data to be sent soon has a low priority according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] As Figure 4 shown, the control device first sent low-priority control data 1 at time point t1, and it should have sent low-priority control data 2 again at time point t2 in the next cycle. However, interference data with a high priority was received before sending low-priority control data 2. Therefore, low-priority control data 2 is not sent at time point t2, but low-priority control data 3 is sent at time point t3 after delaying for the second time (30 s). In this example, the second time is 30 seconds.

[0053] In some embodiments, to avoid the data to be sent from being always delayed, a maximum delay count can be specified. Specifically, the number of times of continuously delaying the first time is not higher than the first threshold; and the number of times of continuously delaying the second time is not higher than the second threshold. The specific values of the first threshold and the second threshold can be set according to the needs of actual applications. For example, the first threshold can be 2, and the second threshold can be 4. Thus, in the case where the first time is 2 seconds and the second time is 30 seconds, the maximum delay time of high-priority data is 4 seconds, and the maximum delay of low-priority data is 120 seconds.

[0054] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the delay time (the first time) of high-priority data can be 0, that is, high-priority data is not delayed.

[0055] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, in order to avoid the incorrect reception and application of data between different groups of control devices and charging devices, the control device and the charging device can be paired, and only the paired control device and charging device apply the data received from each other. In other words, the control device can first perform a pairing process with the charging device before sending control data to the charging device.

[0056] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication between the control device and the charging device may adopt various forms of frame formats. Table 1 shows exemplary frame formats that can be applied.

[0057]

[0058] Table 1

[0059] Table 2 shows the format of an exemplary data part. In this format, taking a three-phase power supply line as an example, the L1 CT current value, the L2 CT current value, and the L3 CT current value respectively represent the currents detected on the three phases.

[0060]

[0061] Table 2

[0062] Figure 5 Shows a schematic flowchart of the pairing process between the control device and the charging device in the charging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] In step S501, the control device 510 may send a pairing request frame to the charging device 520. The source address of this pairing request frame is the address of the control device 510, and the destination address of this pairing request frame is the broadcast address. For example, when adopting the frame format shown in Table 1, the control device 510 with the address 0x12345678 wants to pair with the charging device 520 with the address 0x87654321. The control device 510 may send a pairing request frame to the charging device 520. The type of this pairing request frame is 0, the source address is 0x12345678, the destination address is the broadcast address 0xFFFFFFFF, the data length is 0, and the data is empty.

[0064] In step S502, the charging device 520 sends a pairing response frame to the control device 510. The source address of this pairing response frame is the address of the charging device 520, and the destination address of this pairing response frame is the address of the control device 510. For example, when adopting the frame format shown in Table 1, after the charging device 520 with the address 0x87654321 receives the pairing request frame sent by the control device 510 with the address 0x12345678, it may check whether it has already been paired with other control devices. If not, it sends a pairing response frame. The type of this pairing response frame is 1, the source address is 0x87654321, the destination address is 0x12345678, the data length is 1, the data is 0x01 indicating acceptance, and the data is 0x00 indicating non-acceptance. In some embodiments, as long as the charging device sends a response frame with the corresponding address, it means acceptance of the pairing, and it is not necessary to use the data field to indicate whether to accept.

[0065] In step S503, the control device 510 sends a pairing confirmation frame to the charging device 520. The source address of the pairing confirmation frame is the address of the control device 510, and the destination address of the pairing confirmation frame is the address of the charging device 520. For example, in the case of using the frame format shown in Table 1, the control device 510 with the address 0x12345678 sends a pairing confirmation frame to the charging device 520 with the address 0x87654321. The type of the pairing confirmation frame is 2, the source address is 0x12345678, and the destination address is 0x8765432.

[0066] In some embodiments, after going through the above steps S501 - S503, it indicates that the matching is completed.

[0067] In some other embodiments, further steps can be added to the matching process. As Figure 5 shown, the pairing process 500 may further include steps S511 - S514.

[0068] In step S511, after receiving the pairing response frame, the control device 510 generates a random key, encrypts the random key using an encryption algorithm to generate a ciphertext, and the ciphertext is carried in the pairing confirmation frame. For example, in the case of using the frame format shown in Table 1, after the control device with the address 0x12345678 receives the pairing response frame sent by the charging device 520 with the address 0x87654321, it generates a random key K, and encrypts the random key K using an encryption algorithm E to generate a ciphertext E(K), and the ciphertext E(K) is carried in the pairing confirmation frame. For example, in the matching confirmation frame of step S503, the data is E(K).

[0069] In step S512, after receiving the pairing confirmation frame, the charging device 520 decrypts the ciphertext using a decryption algorithm to generate a decryption key corresponding to the random key, and generates a first verification code using the decryption key. In step S513, the control device 510 sends a pairing completion frame. The pairing completion frame carries the first verification code. The source address of the pairing completion frame is the address of the charging device 520, and the destination address of the pairing completion frame is the address of the control device 510. For example, in the case of using the frame format shown in Table 1, after the charging device 520 receives the pairing confirmation frame, it decrypts the data part into D(E(K)) = K using a decryption algorithm D, and uses K as the key to generate a verification code V, and then sends a pairing completion frame, with the type being 3, the source address being 0x87654321, the destination address being 0x12345678, the data length being 4 (assuming V is 4 bytes), and the data being V.

[0070] In step S514, after receiving the pairing completion frame, the control device 510 generates a second verification code using the random key, and verifies whether the first verification code is the same as the second verification code. If they are the same, the pairing process is completed. For example, after receiving the pairing completion frame, the control device 510 generates a verification code W using the random key K, and verifies whether the verification code V is the same as the verification code W. If they are the same, the pairing process is completed, and data transmission frames can start to be sent.

[0071] After the pairing process is completed, the control device can send control data, such as a data segment having the structure shown in Table 2.

[0072] The charging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Compared with the charging systems of the prior art, the charging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has at least the following advantages: it can automatically adjust the charging current of the charging device; using PLC communication can avoid the trouble of additional wiring; it reduces the possibility of PLC network congestion and thus reduces the risk of control failure without affecting the safety and efficiency of the power supply line; it avoids control errors caused by the charging device wrongly using the control data of other control devices to adjust the charging current.

[0073] The basic principles of the present disclosure have been described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, effects, etc. mentioned in the present disclosure are only examples and not limitations, and it cannot be considered that these advantages, benefits, effects, etc. are essential for each embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, the above-disclosed specific details are only for the purposes of illustration and facilitating understanding, and are not limitations. The above details do not limit the present disclosure to necessarily adopt the above specific details for implementation.

[0074] The block diagrams of the devices, apparatuses, equipment, and systems involved in the present disclosure are only illustrative examples and do not intend to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, and configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, equipment, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as "including", "comprising", "having", etc. are open-ended words, meaning "including but not limited to", and can be used interchangeably with each other. The words "or" and "and" used herein refer to the word "and / or", and can be used interchangeably with each other unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The word "such as" used herein refers to the phrase "such as but not limited to", and can be used interchangeably with each other.

[0075] Various changes, substitutions, and alterations to the technology described herein can be made without departing from the teachings defined by the appended claims. Additionally, the scope of the claims of this disclosure is not limited to the specific aspects of the processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of events, means, methods, and acts described above. Current or later-developed processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of events, means, methods, or acts that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding aspects described herein can be utilized. Accordingly, the appended claims include such processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of events, means, methods, or acts within their scope.

[0076] The foregoing description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0077] The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. This description is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although several example aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and subcombinations thereof.

Claims

1. A charging system, comprising: A charging device for charging electrical equipment using a power supply line; A current detection device, used to detect the power current in the power supply line; as well as a control device, for obtaining the detected power consumption current from the current detection device and setting the rated current of the power supply line, and sending control data to the charging device, wherein the control data includes current data corresponding to the power consumption current and the rated current, wherein The charging device and the control device communicate with each other using a power line carrier PLC, and The charging device adjusts a charging current of the charging device according to the control data.

2. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein: The control device does not send the control data when the absolute value of the difference between the power consumption current and the rated current is smaller than a predetermined threshold value.

3. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein: The control device does not send the control data when the absolute value of the difference between the power consumption current and the rated current is smaller than a predetermined threshold and the time interval from the last sending of the control data is smaller than a predetermined interval.

4. The charging system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The control device sets the control data to a high priority and sends the control data in a first cycle when the absolute value of the difference between the power consumption current and the rated current is greater than the predetermined threshold and the power consumption current is greater than the rated current; as well as The control device sets the control data to a low priority and sends the control data in a second cycle when the absolute value of the difference between the power consumption current and the rated current is greater than the predetermined threshold and the power consumption current is less than the rated current, and the first cycle is smaller than the second cycle.

5. The charging system according to claim 4, wherein: The control data further comprises priority data indicating a priority of the control data.

6. The charging system according to claim 5, wherein: Before sending the control data, the control device monitors interference data sent by other control devices having a PLC communication relationship with the control device, wherein the interference data has the same data format as the control data; When the control device detects the interference data with the high priority, If the control data to be sent has the high priority, sending the control data after a first delay, and If the control data to be sent has the low priority, the control data is sent after a delay of a second time, and the first time is less than the second time.

7. The charging system according to claim 6, wherein: The number of consecutive delays for the first time is not higher than a first threshold; and The number of consecutive delays for the second time period is no greater than a second threshold.

8. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein: The control device performs a pairing process with the charging device before sending the control data to the charging device.

9. The charging system according to claim 8, wherein: The pairing process includes: The control device sends a pairing request frame to the charging device, the source address of the pairing request frame is the address of the control device, and the destination address of the pairing request frame is a broadcast address; The charging device sends a pairing response frame to the control device, the source address of the pairing response frame is the address of the charging device, and the destination address of the pairing response frame is the address of the control device; and The control device sends a pairing confirmation frame to the charging device, the source address of the pairing confirmation frame is the address of the control device, and the destination address of the pairing confirmation frame is the address of the charging device.

10. The charging system according to claim 9, wherein: The pairing process also includes: The control device generates a random key after receiving the pairing response frame, encrypts the random key with an encryption algorithm to generate a ciphertext, and the ciphertext is carried in the pairing confirmation frame; After receiving the matching confirmation frame, the charging device uses a decryption algorithm to decrypt the ciphertext to generate a decoding key corresponding to the random key, generates a first verification code using the decoding key, and sends a pairing completion frame to the control device, the pairing completion frame carries the first verification code, the source address of the pairing completion frame is the address of the charging device, and the destination address of the pairing completion frame is the address of the control device; and After receiving the pairing completion frame, the control device generates a second verification code using the random key, and verifies whether the first verification code is the same as the second verification code. If they are the same, the pairing process is completed.

11. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein: The charging device adjusts the charging current according to the following formula: I_ev=Ir–(I_ct-I_evse), Among them, I_ev is the adjusted charging current, I_ct is the power consumption current, Ir is the rated current, and I_evse is the charging current before adjustment.

12. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein: In the case that the power supply line is a multi-phase power supply line, the current detection device detects the power consumption current of each phase in the power supply line.

13. The charging system according to claim 12, wherein: The charging device determines the charging current to be adjusted according to the power consumption current of each phase, and uses the smallest charging current to be adjusted among all phases as the charging current for charging the electrical equipment.

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