Charging pile

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of charging piles, and discloses a charging pile which comprises a first circuit board, a second circuit board which is backup for the first circuit board, a first switching assembly, a first connector and a first monitoring module; the first end, the second end and the third end of the first switching assembly are connected with the first connector, the first circuit board and the second circuit board respectively; when the first switching assembly is in a first state, the first end and the second end of the first switching assembly are in conduction; when the first switching assembly is in a second state, the first end and the third end of the first switching assembly are in conduction; the first monitoring module is used for controlling the first switching assembly to switch to the second state if it is determined that the first circuit board is abnormal and the first switching assembly is currently in the first state, and is used for controlling the first switching assembly to switch to the first state if it is determined that the second circuit board is abnormal and the first switching assembly is currently in the second state. The application improves the online rate of the charging pile.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of charging pile technology, specifically to a charging pile. Background Technology

[0002] The charging pile online rate refers to the proportion of time during which a charging pile can communicate normally with the monitoring platform and provide services within the total statistical period. The charging pile online rate is a key indicator for measuring the operational efficiency of charging facilities and user service experience, directly impacting the availability, profitability, and resource optimization capabilities of the charging network.

[0003] Since the online rate of charging stations affects their operating revenue—generally, a higher online rate results in better operating revenue—if a charging station malfunctions and cannot be used normally, the online rate will decrease, thereby reducing operating revenue. Therefore, how to improve the online rate of charging stations is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, this application provides a charging pile to solve the problem of low online rate of charging piles in the prior art.

[0005] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a charging pile is provided, including a first circuit board, a second circuit board that serves as a backup for the first circuit board, a first switching component, a first connector, and a first monitoring module; a first end, a second end, and a third end of the first switching component are respectively connected to the first connector, the first circuit board, and the second circuit board, wherein, when the first switching component is in a first state, the first end and the second end of the first switching component are connected, so that the first circuit board is connected to the first connector through the first switching component; when the first switching component is in a second state, the first end and the third end of the first switching component are connected, so that the second circuit board is connected to the first connector through the first switching component; the first monitoring module is used to determine whether the first circuit board and the second circuit board are abnormal, and is used to: if it is determined that the first circuit board is abnormal and the first switching component is currently in the first state, control the first switching component to switch from the first state to the second state; if it is determined that the second circuit board is abnormal and the first switching component is currently in the second state, control the first switching component to switch from the second state to the first state.

[0006] In one optional embodiment, the charging pile further includes a second monitoring module; the first monitoring module is configured to send a first message to the second monitoring module before controlling the first switching component to switch from the first state to the second state, and to send a second message to the second monitoring module before controlling the first switching component to switch from the second state to the first state, wherein the first message is configured to indicate that the first switching component is in the second state after the state switch, and the second message is configured to indicate that the first switching component is in the first state after the state switch; the second monitoring module is configured to, in response to receiving the first message, determine whether the current state of the first switching component is the second state, and if the current state of the first switching component is not the second state, control the first switching component to switch from the first state to the second state; the second monitoring module is further configured to, in response to receiving the second message, determine whether the current state of the first switching component is the first state, and if the current state of the first switching component is not the first state, control the first switching component to switch from the second state to the first state.

[0007] In one optional embodiment, the charging pile further includes a switching device and a sampling resistor, wherein the sampling resistor and the switching device are sequentially connected between the first monitoring module and the first switching component. The switching device has a third state and a fourth state. When the switching device is in the third state, the first switching component is in the first state; when the switching device is in the fourth state, the first switching component is in the second state. The first monitoring module is used to control the first switching component to switch from the first state to the second state by controlling the switching device to switch from the third state to the fourth state, and to control the first switching component to switch from the second state to the first state by controlling the switching device to switch from the fourth state to the third state. The second monitoring module is used to continuously collect the voltage across the sampling resistor and determine the current state of the first switching component based on the voltage.

[0008] In one optional manner, when the switching device is in the third state, the voltage across the sampling resistor is a first voltage; when the switching device is in the fourth state, the voltage across the sampling resistor is a second voltage; the second monitoring module is specifically configured to: in response to receiving the first message or the second message at a first moment, determine the state of the first switching component based on the voltage across the sampling resistor collected at a second moment later than the first moment, wherein if the voltage across the sampling resistor collected at the second moment is the first voltage, the current state of the first switching component is determined to be the first state; if the voltage across the sampling resistor collected at the second moment is the second voltage, the current state of the first switching component is determined to be the second state.

[0009] In one optional embodiment, the first circuit board is configured to continuously send a first heartbeat signal to the second circuit board, and the second circuit board is configured to continuously send a second heartbeat signal to the first circuit board; the first circuit board is further configured to send a first abnormality information to the first monitoring module if it does not receive the second heartbeat signal or if it determines that the fault level of the second circuit board reaches a preset high-level threshold; the first monitoring module is configured to receive the first abnormality information and determine that the second circuit board has malfunctioned based on the first abnormality information; the second circuit board is further configured to send a second abnormality information to the first monitoring module if it does not receive the first heartbeat signal or if it determines that the fault level of the first circuit board reaches the preset high-level threshold; the first monitoring module is further configured to receive the second abnormality information and determine that the first circuit board has malfunctioned based on the second abnormality information.

[0010] In one optional embodiment, the charging pile further includes a third circuit board, a fourth circuit board that serves as a backup for the third circuit board, a second switching component, and a second connector; the first, second, and third ends of the second switching component are respectively connected to the second connector, the third circuit board, and the fourth circuit board, wherein, when the second switching component is in a fifth state, the first and second ends of the second switching component are connected, so that the third circuit board is connected to the second connector through the second switching component; when the second switching component is in a sixth state, the first and third ends of the second switching component are connected, so that the fourth circuit board is connected to the second connector through the second switching component; the first monitoring module is further configured to determine whether the third circuit board and the fourth circuit board are abnormal, and to: if it is determined that the third circuit board is abnormal and the second switching component is currently in the fifth state, control the second switching component to switch from the fifth state to the sixth state; if it is determined that the fourth circuit board is abnormal and the second switching component is currently in the sixth state, control the second switching component to switch from the sixth state to the fifth state.

[0011] In one alternative embodiment, the first circuit board is a first control board, the second circuit board is a second control board, the third circuit board is a first communication board, and the fourth circuit board is a second communication board.

[0012] In one alternative embodiment, the first circuit board includes a first central processing unit and a first indicator light, and the second circuit board includes a second central processing unit and a second indicator light; the first central processing unit is used to control the first indicator light to illuminate in order to indicate the state of the first circuit board; the second central processing unit is used to control the second indicator light to illuminate in order to indicate the state of the second circuit board.

[0013] In one alternative embodiment, the first central processing unit is configured to: control the first indicator light to flash at a first frequency when the first circuit board malfunctions; control the first indicator light to flash at a second frequency when the first circuit board is connected to the first connector via the first switching component, wherein the second frequency is less than the first frequency; and control the first indicator light to flash at a third frequency when the first circuit board is not connected to the first connector via the first switching component, wherein the third frequency is less than the second frequency. The second central processing unit is configured to: control the second indicator light to flash at the first frequency when the second circuit board malfunctions; control the second indicator light to flash at the second frequency when the second circuit board is connected to the first connector via the first switching component; and control the second indicator light to flash at the third frequency when the second circuit board is not connected to the first connector via the first switching component.

[0014] In one alternative approach, when the charging station is in its default state, the first switching component is in the first state.

[0015] In this embodiment, by setting up a first circuit board and a second circuit board that serve as backups for each other, and utilizing a first monitoring module to monitor in real time whether any abnormalities occur on the circuit boards and the status of the first switching component (corresponding to the connection status of the first connector with different circuit boards), when it is determined that the current first circuit board is connected to the first connector through the first switching component and the current first circuit board is experiencing an abnormality, the first switching component is promptly controlled to automatically switch the path so that the second circuit board, which is not experiencing an abnormality, can connect to the first connector through the first switching component. Similarly, when it is determined that the current second circuit board is connected to the first connector through the first switching component and the current second circuit board is experiencing an abnormality, the first switching component is promptly controlled to automatically switch the path so that the first circuit board, which is not experiencing an abnormality, can connect to the first connector through the first switching component. This setup enables automatic and rapid switching to another circuit board to continue operation when a circuit board currently in operation experiences an abnormality. This effectively avoids charging pile downtime due to a fault in either the first or second circuit board, thereby shortening downtime, improving the online rate and operational reliability of the charging pile, and ensuring operational revenue.

[0016] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of the embodiments of this application and to implement them in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of this application more obvious and understandable, specific implementation methods of this application are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a charging pile provided in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a charging pile provided in another embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a charging pile provided in yet another embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a charging pile provided in another embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a charging pile provided in another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0019] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows: 1. Charging stations; 11. First circuit board; 12. Second circuit board; 13. First switching assembly; 14. First connector; 15. First monitoring module; 16. Second monitoring module; 17. Sampling resistor; 18. Switching device; 19. Third circuit board; 20. Fourth circuit board; 21. Second switching assembly; 22. Second connector; 111. First central processing unit; 112. First indicator light; 121. Second central processing unit; 122. Second indicator light. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present application may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0022] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0023] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, representing any combination of the listed objects. For example, "A and / or B" can represent three possibilities: A exists, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0025] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).

[0026] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0027] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0028] When a charging station malfunctions and shuts down, maintenance personnel are typically dispatched to repair it. However, repairing a faulty charging station takes time, and the longer the time spent, the lower the charging station's online rate, significantly reducing operational revenue. Regular inspections and rapid repairs are generally used to ensure the reliability and fault tolerance of charging stations, but these methods are unlikely to guarantee a high online rate. If a charging station can be restored to normal operation as quickly as possible when it malfunctions, the online rate can be improved, and losses reduced.

[0029] The core system of a charging station includes its control system, the reliability and fault tolerance of which are crucial to the station's online rate. This control system monitors the status of all components within the charging station and provides control signals. If the circuit board of the control system fails, the charging station will directly be unable to charge vehicles. Therefore, if any circuit board in the charging station malfunctions, it will directly lead to system failure, forcing the charging station to shut down or go offline, thus reducing the online rate and ultimately resulting in lost operational revenue.

[0030] Based on this, in order to improve the online rate of charging piles, this application proposes a charging pile, including a first circuit board and a second circuit board that serves as a backup for the first circuit board. At any given time, only one circuit board is in working state, while the other circuit board is in standby or hot backup state. When the circuit board in working state fails, it automatically and quickly switches to the circuit board in standby or hot backup state to take over the work, thereby avoiding the charging pile from shutting down due to hardware failure and ensuring that the charging pile remains online.

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a charging pile provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the charging pile 1 includes a first circuit board 11, a second circuit board 12 which serves as a backup for the first circuit board 11, a first switching component 13, and a first connector 14. The first circuit board 11 and the second circuit board 12 have the same function and include the same components. The first circuit board 11 and the second circuit board 12 can be respectively a first control board (i.e., the circuit board of the charging pile's control system) and a second control board. For example, the first circuit board 11 can be the primary control board, and the second circuit board 12 can be the backup control board, or vice versa.

[0032] Charging pile 1 also includes Figure 1 The device connected to the first connector 14 includes, but is not shown, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, a circuit breaker, and a surge protector. To control the aforementioned devices connected to the first connector 14, in this application, the first, second, and third ends of the first switching component 13 are respectively connected to the first connector 14, the first circuit board 11, and the second circuit board 12. When the first switching component 13 is in a first state, the first and second ends of the first switching component 13 are connected, allowing the first circuit board 11 to connect to the first connector 14 via the first switching component 13. In this case, the devices connected to the first connector 14 can be controlled via the first circuit board 11. When the first switching component 13 is in a second state, the first and third ends of the first switching component 13 are connected, allowing the second circuit board 12 to connect to the first connector 14 via the first switching component 13. In this case, the devices connected to the first connector 14 can be controlled via the second circuit board 12.

[0033] In order to switch the state of the first switching component 13 so that the first circuit board 11 is connected to the first connector through the first switching component 13, or the second circuit board 12 is connected to the first connector through the first switching component 13, the charging pile 1 further includes a first monitoring module 15 in this application. The first monitoring module 15 switches the state of the first switching component 13 by determining whether the first circuit board 11 and the second circuit board 12 are abnormal and the current state of the first switching component 13.

[0034] Specifically, if the first monitoring module 15 determines that the first circuit board 11 is currently malfunctioning and the first switching component 13 is currently in the first state, i.e., the first circuit board 11 is currently connected to the first connector 14 through the first switching component 13, then it controls the first switching component 13 to switch from the first state to the second state, so that the second circuit board 12 is connected to the first connector 14 through the first switching component 13. If the first monitoring module 15 determines that the second circuit board 12 is currently malfunctioning and the first switching component 13 is currently in the second state, i.e., the second circuit board 12 is currently connected to the first connector 14 through the first switching component 13, then it controls the first switching component 13 to switch from the second state to the first state, so that the first circuit board 11 is connected to the first connector 14 through the first switching component 13.

[0035] In this embodiment, by setting up a first circuit board 11 and a second circuit board 12 that serve as backups for each other, and using a first monitoring module 15 to monitor in real time whether the circuit boards are abnormal and the status of the first switching component 13 (corresponding to the connection status of the first connector with different circuit boards), when it is determined that the current first circuit board 11 is connected to the first connector 14 through the first switching component 13 and the current first circuit board 11 is abnormal, the first switching component 13 is promptly controlled to automatically switch the path so that the second circuit board 12, which is not abnormal, is connected to the first connector 14 through the first switching component 13; when it is determined that the current second circuit board 12 is connected to the first connector 14 through the first switching component 13 and the current second circuit board 12 is abnormal, the first switching component 13 is promptly controlled to automatically switch the path so that the first circuit board 11, which is not abnormal, is connected to the first connector 14 through the first switching component 13. The above settings enable automatic and rapid switching to another circuit board to continue working when an abnormality occurs on the circuit board currently in operation. This effectively avoids the charging pile 1 from going offline due to a fault in either the first circuit board 11 or the second circuit board 12, thereby shortening the downtime, improving the online rate and operational reliability of the charging pile 1, and ensuring operational revenue.

[0036] Understandably, if the first monitoring module 15 malfunctions and fails to switch the state of the first switching component 13, then when the circuit board currently in operation fails, the first switching component 13 will be unable to operate, causing the charging pile 1 to be unable to switch to the backup circuit board to continue working. This results in the charging pile 1 shutting down and going offline due to hardware failure, and the system losing its redundant backup protection.

[0037] To avoid the above problems, Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a charging pile according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2 As shown, in Figure 1 Based on the provided charging pile 1, Figure 2The provided charging pile 1 also includes a second monitoring module 16.

[0038] Specifically, before controlling the first switching component 13 to switch from the first state to the second state, the first monitoring module 15 sends a first message to the second monitoring module 16 to indicate that the first switching component 13 will be in the second state after the state switch; before controlling the first switching component 13 to switch from the second state to the first state, the first monitoring module 15 sends a second message to the second monitoring module 16 to indicate that the first switching component 13 will be in the first state after the state switch. After the first monitoring module 15 sends either the first message or the second message to the second monitoring module 16, the state of the first switching component 13 is switched accordingly.

[0039] After receiving the first message, the second monitoring module 16 confirms the current state of the first switching component 13. If it is confirmed that the first switching component 13 is not in the second state, it indicates that the first monitoring module 15 malfunctioned, causing the switching to fail. In this case, the second monitoring module 16 will directly control the first switching component 13 to switch to the second state.

[0040] Similarly, after receiving the second message, the second monitoring module 16 confirms the current state of the first switching component 13. If it is confirmed that the first switching component 13 is not in the first state, it indicates that the first monitoring module 15 malfunctioned, causing the switching to fail. In this case, the second monitoring module 16 will directly control the first switching component 13 to switch to the first state.

[0041] It is worth noting that while the first monitoring module 15 sends the first message or the second message to the second monitoring module 16, it simultaneously performs the state switching operation of the first switching component 13. Therefore, when the second monitoring module 16 receives the message, the switching action should have already been completed. Based on this, after receiving the message, the second monitoring module 16 can determine whether the first monitoring module 15 has successfully completed the switching by confirming the current state of the first switching component 13.

[0042] for Figure 2The provided charging pile 1, by adding a second monitoring module 16, utilizes the interactive logic of the first monitoring module 15 sending pre-switching messages and the second monitoring module 16 performing status verification to achieve real-time monitoring of the working status and switching execution results of the first monitoring module 15. When the first monitoring module 15 fails to successfully drive the first switching component 13 to complete the state switching due to an anomaly, the second monitoring module 16 can promptly take over control and complete the state switching of the first switching component 13. This effectively solves the problem of the first switching component 13 failing to switch state due to single-point control failure, ensuring that when either the first circuit board 11 or the second circuit board 12 is abnormal, the other backup circuit board can reliably connect to the first connector 14. This improves the automatic recovery capability and system robustness of the charging pile 1 in circuit board failure scenarios, providing dual protection for the high online rate of the charging pile 1.

[0043] It is worth noting that the first switching component 13 can be a single-pole double-throw switch (SPDS). The common terminal, normally closed terminal, and normally open terminal of the SPDS are the first, second, and third terminals of the first switching component 13, respectively. When the coil of the SPDS is energized, its common terminal is connected to the normally open terminal, and the SPDS is in the second state. When the coil of the SPDS is de-energized, its common terminal is connected to the normally closed terminal, and the SPDS is in the first state. Therefore, the first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16 can change the conduction state of the switch by controlling the energization or de-energization of the coil of the SPDS, thereby flexibly selecting to connect the common terminal and the normally open terminal to the second circuit board 12, or to connect the common terminal and the normally open terminal to the first circuit board 11, thus realizing the switching control of the working circuit board.

[0044] Based on this, in order to facilitate switching the state of the first switching component 13, in some embodiments, the charging pile 1 also includes a switching device for controlling the coil of the single-pole double-throw switch to be energized or de-energized. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a charging pile according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3 As shown, in Figure 2 Based on the provided charging pile 1, the charging pile 1 also includes a sampling resistor 17 and a switching device 18. The sampling resistor 17 and the switching device 18 are connected sequentially between the first monitoring module 15 and the first switching component 13.

[0045] The switching device 18 has a third state and a fourth state. When the switching device 18 is in the third state, the first switching component 13 is in the first state; when the switching device 18 is in the fourth state, the first switching component 13 is in the second state. The switching device 18 can be either a regular switch or a transistor. If the switching device 18 is a regular switch, then the third and fourth states of the switching device 18 correspond to the open and closed states of the regular switch, respectively; if the switching device 18 is a transistor, then the third and fourth states of the switching device 18 correspond to the off and on states of the transistor, respectively.

[0046] Taking a single-pole double-throw switch (SPDS) as an example, the first monitoring module 15 supplies voltage to the first SPDS through the switching device 18. When the switching device 18 is in the fourth state (closed or on), the coil of the SPDS is energized, connecting its common terminal to the normally open terminal. At this time, the SPDS is in the second state, and the second circuit board 12 is connected to the first connector 14 through the first SPDS. When the switching device 18 is in the third state (open or off), the coil of the SPDS is de-energized, connecting its common terminal to the normally closed terminal. At this time, the SPDS is in the first state, and the first circuit board 11 is connected to the first connector 14 through the first SPDS. Therefore, by controlling the state of the switching device 18, the state of the first SPDS can be controlled and switched.

[0047] Based on this, when the first monitoring module 15 needs to control the first switching component 13 to switch from the first state to the second state, the first monitoring module 15 can achieve this by controlling the switch device 18 to switch from the third state to the fourth state; when the first monitoring module 15 needs to control the first switching component 13 to switch from the second state to the first state, the first monitoring module 15 can achieve this by controlling the switch device 18 to switch from the fourth state to the third state.

[0048] It is worth noting that the specific implementation method of the second monitoring module 16 controlling and switching the state of the first switching component 13 by controlling the state of the switch device 18 is the same as the specific implementation method of the first monitoring module 15 controlling and switching the state of the first switching component 13 by controlling the state of the switch device 18. Therefore, the details of how the second monitoring module 16 controls and switches the state of the first switching component 13 by controlling the switch device 18 will not be repeated here.

[0049] In this embodiment of the application, by setting a switch device 18 in the charging pile 1, the first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16 can conveniently control the power-on and power-off state of the first switching component 13 by controlling the on and off state of the switch device 18, thereby flexibly switching the state of the first switching component 13 to quickly switch the working circuit board.

[0050] Because the voltage across the sampling resistor 17 varies depending on the state of the switching device 18. Specifically, when the switching device 18 is in the third state (open or closed), no current flows between the first monitoring module 15 and the first switching component 13, and the voltage across the sampling resistor 17 is the first voltage (e.g., 0). When the switching device 18 is in the fourth state (closed or on), current flows between the first monitoring module 15 and the first switching component 13, and the voltage across the sampling resistor 17 is the second voltage (e.g., 1V), which is greater than the first voltage.

[0051] Therefore, in order to quickly and accurately monitor the current state of the first switching component 13, Figure 3 Based on the provided charging pile 1, the first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16 can determine the current state of the first switching component 13 by collecting the voltage across the sampling resistor 17. For example, if the collected voltage is the first voltage, the current state of the switching device 18 can be determined to be the third state, and thus the current state of the first switching component 13 can be determined to be the first state; if the collected voltage is the second voltage, the current state of the switching device 18 can be determined to be the fourth state, and thus the current state of the first switching component 13 can be determined to be the second state.

[0052] If the voltage across the sampling resistor 17 is too low to be easily determined, an operational amplifier can be installed in the charging pile 1 to amplify the voltage across the sampling resistor 17. The first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16 determine the current state of the first switching component 13 by acquiring the amplified voltage output by the operational amplifier.

[0053] In this embodiment, the state of the switching device 18 is converted into a quantifiable voltage signal by using the sampling resistor 17, so that the first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16 can determine the current state of the first switching component 13 in real time and accurately by collecting the voltage value across the sampling resistor 17.

[0054] Because circuit fluctuations can occur, the voltage across the sampling resistor 17 will also fluctuate. Therefore, to improve the accuracy of determining the state of the first switching component 13 based on the voltage across the sampling resistor 17, in some embodiments, a first voltage range (e.g., 0~0.2V) and a second voltage range (e.g., 0.8V~1.2V) can be preset. If the voltage across the sampling resistor 17 falls within the first voltage range, the current state of the switching device 18 is determined to be the third state, and the current state of the first switching component 13 is determined to be the first state. If the voltage across the sampling resistor 17 falls within the second voltage range, the current state of the switching device 18 is determined to be the fourth state, and the current state of the first switching component 13 is determined to be the second state.

[0055] After receiving the first message or the second message sent by the first monitoring module 15, in order to accurately determine whether the first monitoring module 15 has successfully switched the state of the first switching component 13, in some embodiments, the second monitoring module 16, in response to receiving the first message or the second message at a first moment, determines the state of the first switching component 13 based on the voltage across the sampling resistor 17 collected at a second moment later than the first moment. Through the above settings, strict synchronization and coordination between the state detection timing and the control action timing are ensured. By collecting voltage at a second moment later than the message reception time, the second monitoring module 16 provides sufficient time margin for the first monitoring module 15 to perform the switching operation and for the stable transition of the circuit state, effectively avoiding the risk of misjudgment caused by circuit transient response delays or switching action lags, thereby improving the accuracy of determining whether the first monitoring module 15 has successfully switched the state of the first switching component 13.

[0056] It should be noted that the interval between the second moment and the first moment can be set as needed. For example, if the first monitoring module 15 needs to take a certain amount of time to switch the state of the first switching component 13, the interval between the second moment and the first moment can be slightly longer than that time.

[0057] To detect whether the first circuit board 11 and the second circuit board 12 are malfunctioning, they communicate with each other via a CAN / RS485 / ETH communication bus to monitor each other's operating status. If one circuit board detects that the other circuit board is malfunctioning, it sends an abnormality message to the first monitoring module 15 so that the first monitoring module 15 can determine whether the circuit board is malfunctioning.

[0058] Specifically, the first circuit board 11 continuously sends a first heartbeat signal to the second circuit board 12, and the second circuit board 12 continuously sends a second heartbeat signal to the first circuit board 11. If the first circuit board 11 does not receive the second heartbeat signal, it sends a first abnormality message to the first monitoring module 15. The first monitoring module 15 responds to receiving the first abnormality message and determines that the second circuit board has malfunctioned based on the first abnormality message.

[0059] If the second circuit board 12 does not receive the first heartbeat packet signal, it sends a second abnormality message to the first monitoring module 15. The first monitoring module 15 responds to receiving the second abnormality message and determines that the first circuit board has malfunctioned based on the second abnormality message.

[0060] It is worth noting that, for a charging pile including a first circuit board 11, a second circuit board 12, a third circuit board 19, a fourth circuit board 20, a first monitoring module 15, and a second monitoring module 16, in some embodiments, the first circuit board 11, the second circuit board 12, the third circuit board 19, and the fourth circuit board 20 mutually determine their respective heartbeats via a CAN / RS485 / ETH communication bus to monitor each other's operating status. If one circuit board malfunctions, the other circuit boards send abnormal information to the first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16. For example, if the second circuit board 12, the third circuit board 19, and the fourth circuit board 20 do not receive the heartbeat packet signal from the first circuit board 11, then the second circuit board 12, the third circuit board 19, and the fourth circuit board 20 send abnormal information to the first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16 to indicate that the first circuit board 11 is malfunctioning, so that the first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16, upon receiving the abnormal information, determine that the first circuit board 11 has malfunctioned.

[0061] In other embodiments, if the first circuit board 11 determines that the fault level of the second circuit board 12 reaches a preset high-level threshold, it sends a first abnormality message to the first monitoring module 15. Specifically, the first circuit board 11 parses the second heartbeat packet signal received from the second circuit board 12, or evaluates the fault level of the second circuit board 12 based on the operating status data reported by the second circuit board 12; when the evaluated fault level reaches or exceeds the preset high-level threshold (for example, determining that the second circuit board 12 has committed a fatal error or lost control), the first circuit board 11 determines that the second circuit board 12 is in a high-risk abnormal state, and immediately sends the first abnormality message to the first monitoring module 15, so that the first monitoring module 15 responds to receiving the first abnormality message and determines that the second circuit board 12 has malfunctioned based on the first abnormality message.

[0062] Similarly, if the second circuit board 12 determines that the fault level of the first circuit board 11 has reached a preset high-level threshold, it sends a second abnormality information to the first monitoring module 15. The method by which the second circuit board 12 determines whether the fault level of the first circuit board 11 has reached the preset high-level threshold is similar to the method by which the first circuit board 11 determines whether the fault level of the second circuit board 12 has reached the preset high-level threshold, and will not be described again here.

[0063] Besides the control system, the core system of a charging pile also includes a communication system. In some embodiments, this communication system is used to realize data interaction between the charging pile and the operation management platform. It is responsible for uploading information such as the real-time status and charging data of the charging pile to the backend, and receiving control commands and remote upgrade packages from the platform. Therefore, once the circuit board of the communication system fails, the charging pile will be unable to establish a connection with the platform, causing the platform to be unable to monitor the status of the charging pile, which will then be judged as "offline" in the system statistics, directly leading to a decrease in the online rate.

[0064] Therefore, if the circuit board of the communication system (hereinafter referred to as the communication board) malfunctions, it will also cause charging pile 1 to stop operating. Based on this, in Figure 1 Based on the provided charging pile 1, Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a charging pile provided in another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 4 As shown, the charging pile 1 also includes a third circuit board 19, a fourth circuit board 20 which serves as a backup for the third circuit board, a second switching component 21, and a second connector 22. The third circuit board 19 and the fourth circuit board 20 have the same function and include the same components. The third circuit board 19 and the fourth circuit board 20 can be respectively the first communication board (i.e., the circuit board of the communication system) and the second communication board. For example, the third circuit board 19 can be the primary communication board, and the fourth circuit board 20 can be the backup communication board, or vice versa.

[0065] For split-type charging piles, they typically include a main cabinet and a terminal equipped with charging gun cables, with the main cabinet controlling the operation of the terminal. Therefore, in some implementations, if charging pile 1 is a split-type charging pile, then... Figure 4 The device shown belongs to the main cabinet. The second connector 22 is used to connect to a terminal equipped with a charging gun cable to output control signals to the terminal through the main cabinet to control the operation of the terminal.

[0066] When the output power of a single charging pile cannot meet the requirements, multiple charging piles can be connected in parallel to increase the output power of the parallel system. In this case, the multiple charging piles need to communicate with each other to achieve information synchronization. Therefore, in some embodiments, the second connector 22 can also be used to connect with other charging piles to achieve communication functions.

[0067] The second switching component 21 is similar to the first switching component 13. The first, second, and third ends of the second switching component 21 are connected to the second connector 22, the third circuit board 19, and the fourth circuit board 20, respectively. Specifically, when the second switching component 21 is in its fifth state, the first and second ends of the second switching component 21 are connected, allowing the third circuit board 19 to be connected to the second connector 22 via the second switching component 21. When the second switching component 21 is in its sixth state, the first and third ends of the second switching component 21 are connected, allowing the fourth circuit board 20 to be connected to the second connector 22 via the second switching component 21.

[0068] The first monitoring module 15 determines whether the third circuit board 19 and the fourth circuit board 20 are malfunctioning. Furthermore, if the third circuit board 19 is determined to be malfunctioning and the second switching component 21 is currently in the fifth state, the first monitoring module 15 controls the second switching component 21 to switch from the fifth state to the sixth state; if the fourth circuit board 20 is determined to be malfunctioning and the second switching component 21 is currently in the sixth state, the first monitoring module 15 controls the second switching component 21 to switch from the sixth state back to the fifth state.

[0069] Since the second switching component 21 is similar to the first switching component 13, the specific implementation method of the first monitoring module 15 switching the state of the second switching component 21, and Figure 4 The beneficial effects of the provided embodiments can be referred to Figure 1 The provided embodiments will not be described in detail here.

[0070] In order to quickly distinguish the state of the first circuit board 11 and the second circuit board 12, in some embodiments, the state of the circuit boards is indicated by indicator lights. Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a charging pile provided in another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 5 As shown, in Figure 1 Based on the provided charging pile 1, Figure 5 In the circuit, the first circuit board 11 includes a first central processing unit 111 and a first indicator light 112, and the second circuit board 12 includes a second central processing unit 121 and a second indicator light 122.

[0071] The first central processing unit 111 controls the first indicator light 112 to illuminate, thereby indicating the status of the first circuit board 11. The second central processing unit 121 controls the second indicator light 122 to illuminate, thereby indicating the status of the second circuit board 12.

[0072] Specifically, when the first circuit board 11 malfunctions, the first central processing unit 111 controls the first indicator light 112 to flash at a first frequency; when the first circuit board 11 is not malfunctioning and is connected to the first connector 14 via the first switching component, the first central processing unit 111 controls the first indicator light 112 to flash at a second frequency lower than the first frequency; when the first circuit board 11 is not malfunctioning and is not connected to the first connector 14 via the first switching component 13, the first central processing unit 111 controls the first indicator light 112 to flash at a third frequency lower than the second frequency. Here, the first frequency > the second frequency > the third frequency, where high frequency (first frequency) represents an emergency fault, medium frequency (second frequency) represents the first circuit board 11 being in operation and the second circuit board 12 being in standby mode, and low frequency (third frequency) represents the second circuit board 12 being in operation and the first circuit board 11 being in standby mode.

[0073] When the second circuit board 12 malfunctions, the second central processing unit 121 controls the second indicator light 122 to flash at a first frequency; when the second circuit board 12 is not malfunctioning and is connected to the first connector 14 through the first switching component 13, the second central processing unit 121 controls the second indicator light 122 to flash at a second frequency; when the second circuit board 12 is not malfunctioning and is not connected to the first connector 14 through the first switching component 13, the second central processing unit 121 controls the second indicator light 122 to flash at a third frequency.

[0074] In this embodiment, by setting indicator lights on the circuit boards and using a central processing unit to control the indicator lights to flash at different frequencies according to the fault conditions and online status of the circuit boards, an intuitive and visual presentation of the circuit board status is achieved. Maintenance personnel can quickly and accurately identify which circuit board is currently in operation, which is in standby mode, and whether there is a fault by observing the flashing frequency of the indicator lights. This greatly shortens the time for fault diagnosis and status confirmation, improves the efficiency of on-site fault diagnosis, and enhances the maintainability and human-machine interaction experience of the charging pile 1.

[0075] It is worth noting that, in Figure 5 Based on the provided embodiments, for charging piles that also include a third circuit board 19 and a fourth circuit board 20, in order to distinguish the states of the third circuit board 19 and the fourth circuit board 20, the third circuit board 19 includes a third central processing unit and a third indicator light. The third central processing unit controls the third indicator light to illuminate to indicate the state of the third circuit board 19. The fourth circuit board 20 includes a fourth central processing unit and a fourth indicator light. The fourth central processing unit controls the fourth indicator light to illuminate to indicate the state of the fourth circuit board 20. For specific implementation methods of the third central processing unit controlling the third indicator light and the fourth central processing unit controlling the fourth indicator light, please refer to... Figure 5The specific implementation of the first central processing unit 111 controlling the first indicator light 112 to emit light in the provided embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0076] To ensure that the charging pile 1 can still operate normally when the first switching component 13 is malfunctioning due to power failure, in some embodiments, when the charging pile 1 is in its default state (e.g., after restoring factory settings), the first switching component 13 is in a first state. In this state, the first switching component 13 automatically connects the first circuit board 11 to the first connector 14 without requiring control signal drive or coil energization. Thus, even if the first switching component 13 fails due to power failure or control circuit malfunction, the charging pile 1 can still maintain basic charging functions through the first circuit board 11, preventing a complete system failure due to a malfunction of the first switching component 13, thereby effectively ensuring the availability and reliability of the charging pile under extreme failure conditions.

[0077] To prevent data loss, in some embodiments, before switching the states of the first switching component 13 and the second switching component 21, the first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16 send data backup information to the first circuit board 11, the second circuit board 12, the third circuit board 19, and the fourth circuit board 20. This allows the first circuit board 11, the second circuit board 12, the third circuit board 19, and the fourth circuit board 20 to perform data backups upon receiving the backup information, thereby preventing data loss. Furthermore, the first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16 are also connected to a server. After switching the states of the first switching component 13 and the second switching component 21, the first monitoring module 15 and the second monitoring module 16 upload the latest states of the first switching component 13 and the second switching component 21 to the server, enabling the server to monitor the charging pile 1 in real time.

[0078] In summary, this application, apart from peripherals such as sensors and electrical components connected to the first connector 14 and the second connector 22, features 100% redundancy coverage in the control and communication system circuits. The control and communication systems are dual-redundant, with two independent backup systems, improving the reliability and fault tolerance of the charging pile 1. Furthermore, the system uses a heartbeat signal from the circuit board to determine whether an abnormality has occurred and whether switching the states of the first switching component 13 and the second switching component 21 is necessary, providing a complete switching function. Moreover, indicator lights clearly display the circuit board status, providing a clear and intuitive result.

[0079] Furthermore, in this application, the first connector 14 and the second connector 22 are disconnected from the backup circuit board via hardware (switching components), achieving safe isolation from the backup circuit board and ensuring that the backup circuit board is not affected by the failure of external devices connected to the first connector 14 and the second connector 22. Similarly, when a circuit board malfunctions, the first connector 14 and the second connector 22 are disconnected from the circuit board via hardware (switching components), ensuring safe isolation from the malfunctioning circuit board and preventing external devices from being affected by the faulty circuit board. Moreover, the switching components have a default state, ensuring that the first switching component 13 remains connected to the first circuit board 11 and the second switching component 21 remains connected to the third circuit board 19 even in the event of a fault or power failure, without introducing new single-point failure risks.

[0080] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A charging pile, characterized in that, It includes a first circuit board, a second circuit board that serves as a backup for the first circuit board, a first switching component, a first connector, and a first monitoring module; The first end, the second end, and the third end of the first switching component are respectively connected to the first connector, the first circuit board, and the second circuit board. When the first switching component is in a first state, the first end and the second end of the first switching component are connected, so that the first circuit board is connected to the first connector through the first switching component. When the first switching component is in a second state, the first end and the third end of the first switching component are connected, so that the second circuit board is connected to the first connector through the first switching component. The first monitoring module is used to determine whether the first circuit board and the second circuit board have malfunctioned, and is used to: If it is determined that the first circuit board is abnormal and the first switching component is currently in the first state, control the first switching component to switch from the first state to the second state; if it is determined that the second circuit board is abnormal and the first switching component is currently in the second state, control the first switching component to switch from the second state to the first state.

2. The charging pile according to claim 1, characterized in that, The charging pile also includes a second monitoring module; The first monitoring module is used to send a first message to the second monitoring module before controlling the first switching component to switch from the first state to the second state, and to send a second message to the second monitoring module before controlling the first switching component to switch from the second state to the first state. The first message is used to indicate that the first switching component is in the second state after the state switch, and the second message is used to indicate that the first switching component is in the first state after the state switch. The second monitoring module is used to respond to receiving the first message, determine whether the current state of the first switching component is the second state, and if the current state of the first switching component is not the second state, control the first switching component to switch from the first state to the second state; The second monitoring module is further configured to, in response to receiving the second message, determine whether the current state of the first switching component is the first state; if the current state of the first switching component is not the first state, control the first switching component to switch from the second state to the first state.

3. The charging pile according to claim 2, characterized in that, The charging pile also includes a switching device and a sampling resistor. The sampling resistor and the switching device are connected sequentially between the first monitoring module and the first switching component. The switching device has a third state and a fourth state. When the switching device is in the third state, the first switching component is in the first state. When the switching device is in the fourth state, the first switching component is in the second state. The first monitoring module is used to control the first switching component to switch from the first state to the second state by controlling the switching device to switch from the third state to the fourth state, and to control the first switching component to switch from the second state to the first state by controlling the switching device to switch from the fourth state to the third state; The second monitoring module is used to continuously collect the voltage across the sampling resistor and determine the current state of the first switching component based on the voltage.

4. The charging pile according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the switching device is in the third state, the voltage across the sampling resistor is the first voltage; when the switching device is in the fourth state, the voltage across the sampling resistor is the second voltage. The second monitoring module is specifically used to: in response to receiving the first message or the second message at a first moment, determine the state of the first switching component based on the voltage across the sampling resistor collected at a second moment later than the first moment, wherein if the voltage across the sampling resistor collected at the second moment is the first voltage, the current state of the first switching component is determined to be the first state, and if the voltage across the sampling resistor collected at the second moment is the second voltage, the current state of the first switching component is determined to be the second state.

5. The charging pile according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first circuit board is used to continuously send a first heartbeat packet signal to the second circuit board, and the second circuit board is used to continuously send a second heartbeat packet signal to the first circuit board; The first circuit board is also used to send a first abnormal information to the first monitoring module if it does not receive the second heartbeat packet signal or determines that the fault level of the second circuit board reaches a preset high level threshold. The first monitoring module is used to receive the first abnormal information and determine that the second circuit board has an abnormality based on the first abnormal information; The second circuit board is also used to send a second abnormal information to the first monitoring module if the first heartbeat packet signal is not received or if the fault level of the first circuit board is determined to reach the preset high level threshold. The first monitoring module is also used to receive the second abnormal information and determine that the first circuit board has an abnormality based on the second abnormal information.

6. The charging pile according to claim 1, characterized in that, The charging pile also includes a third circuit board, a fourth circuit board that serves as a backup for the third circuit board, a second switching component, and a second connector; The first, second, and third ends of the second switching component are respectively connected to the second connector, the third circuit board, and the fourth circuit board. When the second switching component is in the fifth state, the first and second ends of the second switching component are connected, so that the third circuit board is connected to the second connector through the second switching component. When the second switching component is in the sixth state, the first and third ends of the second switching component are connected, so that the fourth circuit board is connected to the second connector through the second switching component. The first monitoring module is also used to determine whether the third circuit board and the fourth circuit board are abnormal, and is used to: If it is determined that the third circuit board is abnormal and the second switching component is currently in the fifth state, control the second switching component to switch from the fifth state to the sixth state; if it is determined that the fourth circuit board is abnormal and the second switching component is currently in the sixth state, control the second switching component to switch from the sixth state to the fifth state.

7. The charging pile according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first circuit board is a first control board, the second circuit board is a second control board, the third circuit board is a first communication board, and the fourth circuit board is a second communication board.

8. The charging pile according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first circuit board includes a first central processing unit and a first indicator light, and the second circuit board includes a second central processing unit and a second indicator light; The first central processing unit is used to control the first indicator light to illuminate, so as to indicate the status of the first circuit board; The second central processing unit is used to control the second indicator light to illuminate, so as to indicate the status of the second circuit board.

9. The charging pile according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first central processing unit is used for: When the first circuit board malfunctions, the first indicator light is controlled to flash at a first frequency; When the first circuit board is connected to the first connector through the first switching component, the first indicator light is controlled to flash at a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is less than the first frequency; When the first circuit board is not connected to the first connector through the first switching component, the first indicator light is controlled to flash at a third frequency, wherein the third frequency is less than the second frequency; The second central processing unit is used for: When the second circuit board malfunctions, the second indicator light is controlled to flash at the first frequency; When the second circuit board is connected to the first connector via the first switching component, the second indicator light is controlled to flash at the second frequency; When the second circuit board is not connected to the first connector through the first switching component, the second indicator light is controlled to flash at the third frequency.

10. The charging pile according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the charging pile is in the default state, the first switching component is in the first state.

Images