Charging system with a release system, a communication unit and a charging cable with a transponder

Abstract

The invention relates to a charging system (1) for a vehicle (20), wherein the charging system (1) comprises a charging cable (2) with a transponder (3), a communication unit (4), and an enabling system (5), wherein an authentication code (10) is stored in the transponder (3), and the transponder (3) and the communication unit (4) are designed and coordinated such that the authentication code (10) can be transmitted wirelessly and with limited range from the transponder (3) to the communication unit (4), and the communication unit (4) is configured to forward the authentication code (10) to the enabling system (5), and the enabling system (5) is configured to compare the authentication code (10) with a verification code (11) and to enable a charging current (6) via the charging cable (2) if the authentication code (10) is identical to the verification code (11).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a charging system for a vehicle and a method for operating a charging system for a vehicle.

[0002] It is known that charging cables for electric vehicles have locking devices that prevent them from being disconnected during charging. This provides theft protection for the charging cables.

[0003] A charging system for a vehicle is proposed. The vehicle is an electric vehicle. The charging system comprises a charging cable with a transponder, a communication unit, and an authorization system. An authentication code is stored in the transponder. The transponder and the communication unit are designed and coordinated such that the authentication code can be transmitted wirelessly and within a limited range from the transponder to the communication unit. The communication unit is configured to forward the authentication code to the authorization system. The authorization system, for example, the first part of the authorization system, is configured to compare the authentication code with a verification code.Furthermore, the release system, for example a second part of the release system, is set up to activate a charging current via the charging cable if the authentication code is identical to the verification code.

[0004] Because the transponder is located on the charging cable and the release system is configured to enable the charging current via the charging cable if the authentication code matches the verification code, the charging cable can only be used to electrically charge the vehicle if a comparison of the authentication code with the verification code shows that they are identical. It goes without saying that the release system has access to the verification code. For example, the verification code can be stored in a memory within the release system.

[0005] Because the communication unit is configured to forward the authentication code to the release system, and because the transponder and communication unit are designed and coordinated in such a way that the authentication code can be transmitted wirelessly and within a limited range from the transponder to the communication unit, the charging cable can only be used to charge the vehicle if the charging cable and the communication unit are in the same location. "The same location" can be understood as an area of ​​approximately 2 meters around the charging cable. Accordingly, a range-limited wireless transmission of the authentication code from the transponder to the communication unit is understood to mean a transmission that is only possible within a maximum distance of approximately 2 meters between the transponder and the communication unit.

[0006] The interaction of the features described above results in an alternative theft protection for the charging cable, as the charging cable can only be used if both the charging cable and the communication unit are in the possession of a single person. This alternative theft protection also works if the locking device described above is released after charging. Such release can occur, for example, if the vehicle's battery is fully charged.

[0007] The transponder is designed to modify electromagnetic waves acting upon it or to generate further electromagnetic waves in response to these waves. For this purpose, the transponder may have an antenna.

[0008] The authentication code can be stored in the transponder in such a way that the authentication code, hereinafter referred to as the code, is permanently encoded in the transponder by means of hardware. In this case, the code is provided by a component of this hardware. The hardware could, for example, be a chip. The code can also be stored on a storage medium within the transponder. In this case, the storage medium can reserve a memory location for storing the code that can only be written to once. In this case, the transponder can be used, for example, in such a way that the code is written once to the designated memory location of the storage medium, and this memory location is write-protected after being written with the code. That is, the code cannot be overwritten or deleted on the storage medium.

[0009] According to one variant, the code can be a vehicle identification number. Alternatively, the code can be in the form of an individual transponder code (Unique Identifier = UID). Worldwide, every transponder is described with an individual code generated specifically for that transponder. This UID is a unique identifier assigned to each transponder during manufacturing and is globally unique. The transponder's UID is written to a memory element during manufacturing and cannot be changed. Therefore, the transponder's UID distinguishes it from all other transponders. The UID can be considered a fixed serial number that is unique worldwide. The UID serves to identify the transponder independently of any other information stored on it. The UID can be, for example, 4, 7, or 10 bytes long. Typically, the UID is not encrypted.

[0010] According to another variant, the code can be a code generated for communication between the release system and the communication unit. In one possible use case, the code can be in the form of an electronic key.

[0011] The range-limited transmission between the transponder and the communication unit can be achieved, for example, by designing the transponder's antenna to receive electromagnetic waves with a frequency in the range of approximately 10 to 50 megahertz, particularly 13.56 megahertz. In this context, for instance, the resonant frequency of a transponder's circuit can lie within this frequency range or be exactly 13.56 megahertz.

[0012] The charging cable is suitable for charging an electric vehicle. This means that the charging cable is designed to transmit voltages ranging from 230 volts to 400 volts. It can also be designed to transmit currents from 16 to 500 amps. Alternatively or additionally, the charging cable has one or more safety mechanisms, such as temperature monitoring, insulation protection, and overvoltage protection. Furthermore, the charging cable may have conductors for bidirectional communication between the vehicle and a charging station. This bidirectional communication can include, for example, the negotiation of charging parameters such as current, voltage, and temperature to ensure safe and efficient charging of the vehicle. In most cases, the charging cable has a connector at each end.The connector can be, for example, a Type 2 connector, as specified by IEC standard 62196. According to this standard, the connectors can be either Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3. IEC standard 62196, or other standards, may specify charging modes that describe how the vehicle can be charged using the charging cable. One of these charging modes can be "Mode 1," in which the vehicle is charged slowly using the charging cable plugged into a standard household outlet with a protective earth (ground). Accordingly, the charging cable can be designed as a so-called Mode 1 charging cable, enabling charging of the vehicle in "Mode 1" mode.

[0013] Another charging mode is "Mode 2," in which the vehicle is charged via a single-phase to three-phase connection using a signal permanently coded at the connector end. The charging cable can be designed as a so-called Mode 2 charging cable, enabling charging of the vehicle in this mode. In this case, the charging cable may include a control unit, also known as a control box.

[0014] According to one possible design, the transponder can be in the form of an NFC tag. The NFC tag has an antenna, for example, an integrated coil antenna. The coil antenna can be tuned to a frequency of 13.56 megahertz. The antenna can be designed for both transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals. In most applications, the antenna can serve to power the NFC tag. An electromagnetic field, which can be generated, for example, by the communication unit, can induce a current in the coil antenna, which can then be used to power a circuit within the NFC tag.

[0015] The NFC tag can be configured to support data transfer rates of 106, 212, or 424 kilobits per second. If the NFC tag's antenna is tuned to a frequency of 13.56 megahertz, the resulting range is very short, for example, 0 to 10 centimeters, within which communication between the transponder (in this case, the NFC tag) and the communication unit is possible. This ensures that the communication unit and the transponder can be used simultaneously by only one person to wirelessly transmit the code from the transponder to the communication unit. Therefore, the NFC tag transponder offers even greater theft protection for the charging cable.

[0016] In an advantageous embodiment, the transponder is attached to the charging cable in a tamper-proof manner. The transponder, in particular the NFC tag, can be designed as a tamper-evident transponder or tamper-evident NFC tag. In this embodiment, the transponder is designed such that, once attached to the charging cable, it cannot be removed without damage. This means that an attempt to remove the transponder from the charging cable leaves visible traces and / or destroys a function of the transponder, so that the code can no longer be transmitted from the transponder to the communication unit. For example, the transponder can be designed such that an attempt to remove it from the charging cable damages a circuit and / or the antenna of the transponder.For this purpose, the transponder may have one or more predetermined breaking points and / or consist of fragile elements.

[0017] To make the transponder tamper-proof, the antenna can be made of very fine material, such as metal foil or conductive ink. In this case, the antenna is destroyed if an attempt is made to remove the transponder from the charging cable. Alternatively or additionally, the transponder can be attached to the charging cable using a special adhesive. This special adhesive can create such a strong bond between the charging cable and the transponder that the transponder is damaged when removed from the charging cable.

[0018] In one possible configuration, the transponder can have a tamper sensor designed to detect whether the transponder has been manipulated. In this case, the transponder can remain functional after tampering but may provide information about the attempted tampering in the form of stored tamper information. The communication unit can then be configured to query this tamper information and forward it to the authorization system. The authorization system can then be configured to only activate the charging current via the charging cable if a verification of the tamper information confirms that the transponder has not been manipulated.

[0019] In a further embodiment, the transponder is integrated into the housing of the charging cable's control unit. This further enhances the theft protection of the charging cable, as the housing must be broken open to steal the transponder. The embodiment described above, in which the transponder is attached to the charging cable in a tamper-proof manner, has the advantage over the variant where the transponder is integrated into the control unit's housing that the proposed charging system can easily be used as a retrofit for an existing charging cable that does not have a transponder. For example, to retrofit the charging cable, the transponder, perhaps in the form of an NFC tag, can simply be affixed to the cable.

[0020] According to one possible design, at least part of the release system is integrated into the charging cable's control unit. This has the advantage that no or fewer modifications to the vehicle are necessary to protect the charging cable from theft. In this design, the communication unit can, for example, be a component of a mobile device or the mobile device itself, and communication software can be installed on the mobile device to enable communication between the mobile device and the release system. The communication unit can have an NFC interface, such as an active NFC interface, which enables the wireless and range-limited transmission of the code from the transponder to the communication unit. In most cases, communication between the mobile device and the release system can be implemented wirelessly, for example, via radio waves.For example, a Bluetooth connection between the release system and the communication unit can be provided.

[0021] An alternative design allows for the release system to be integrated into the vehicle. This has the advantage that verification of whether the code matches the verification code can be performed within the vehicle itself, rather than, for example, in the charging cable's control unit, the mobile device, or a cloud service connected to the mobile device. This could reduce the risk of a hacking attack in which the verification code is read by unauthorized individuals.

[0022] In a further embodiment, the communication unit can be integrated into the vehicle. In this case, the communication unit can, for example, take the form of an active NFC interface that can read the transponder, such as an NFC tag, when the transponder is brought close to the communication unit, for example, within a range of less than 10 centimeters. In this case, a mobile device is not required. The communication unit can be located near a charging port in the vehicle, into which the vehicle-side end of the charging cable can be plugged.

[0023] In a further embodiment, the communication unit can be configured to write the authentication code to the transponder in encrypted form. In this embodiment, the communication unit is conveniently configured to write the code to the transponder in encrypted, write-protected form. The encrypted form of the code could increase security during transmission from the transponder to the communication unit. Generally, writing the authentication code to the transponder can be understood as "pairing" the charging cable with the communication unit or with the vehicle. If the release system, or at least part of it, is located in the vehicle, writing the authentication code to the transponder can be interpreted as "pairing" the charging cable with the vehicle.

[0024] Furthermore, a method for electrically charging a vehicle using a charging system is proposed. The charging system comprises a charging cable, an enabling system, and a communication unit, and can be configured according to one of the variants described above. The method involves bringing the communication unit close to a transponder on the charging cable. It also involves wirelessly and with limited range transmitting an authentication code stored on the transponder from the transponder to the communication unit. The method further includes forwarding the authentication code to the enabling system. It also includes comparing the authentication code with a verification code. Finally, the method includes enabling charging current via the charging cable if the authentication code matches the verification code.

[0025] Preferred embodiments are explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. The dependent claims describe further advantageous embodiments of the invention. The figures schematically illustrate this. Fig. 1 a variant of a charging system with a charging cable with a transponder, a communication unit and a release system; Fig. 2 a sub-variant of the in Fig. 1 shown variant of the charging system, in which the communication unit is integrated into a vehicle; Fig. 3 a sub-variant of the in Fig. 1 shown variant of the charging system, in which the release system is integrated into a control unit of the charging cable; Fig. 4 a sub-variant of the in Fig. 1 shown variant of the charging system, in which the communication unit is designed in the form of a mobile device; Fig. 5 a variant of a charging system with a charging cable with a transponder, a communication unit and a release system integrated in a vehicle; Fig. 6 a sub-variant of the in Fig. 5 shown variant of the charging system, in which the communication unit is integrated into the vehicle.

[0026] Fig. Figure 1 shows a charging system 1 for a in Fig. The vehicle shown in Figure 20. The charging system 1 comprises a charging cable 2 with a transponder 3, a communication unit 4, and an authorization system 5. An authentication code 10, hereinafter referred to as code 10, is stored in the transponder 3. The transponder 3 and the communication unit 4 are designed and coordinated such that the code 10 can be transmitted wirelessly and within a limited range from the transponder 3 to the communication unit 4. The communication unit 4 is configured to forward the code 10 to the authorization system 5. The authorization system 5 is configured to compare the code 10 with a verification code 11 and to enable a charging current 6 if the code 10 is identical to the verification code 11. It is understood that the charging current 6 can flow through the charging cable 2 when the charging current 6 is enabled. The charging cable 2 has a vehicle-side connector 2.1 and a charging station-side connector 2.2, between which the charging current 6 can flow. To enable the charging current 6, the enabling system 5 can have a switch, such as a relay.

[0027] At the in Fig. In the variant of charging system 1 shown in Figure 1, the release system 5 is arranged on the charging cable 2. In this variant, the release system 5 can be designed as a control unit of the charging cable 2 or be integrated into the control unit of the charging cable 2.

[0028] Fig. 2 shows how the in Fig. The variant of charging system 1 shown can be used for charging vehicle 20. The charging station-side connection 2.2 is connected to a charging station 23 and the vehicle-side connection 2.1 is connected to a charging port 21 of vehicle 20. Fig. 2 shows a sub-variant of the in Fig. 1 shown variant of the charging system 1, in which the communication unit 4 is integrated into the vehicle 20.

[0029] For example, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the communication unit 4 is mounted near the charging port 21. According to one possible embodiment, the communication unit 4 can be integrated into the vehicle 20 such that it is less than 5 centimeters from the vehicle-side connector 2.1 when the vehicle-side connector 2.1 is connected to the charging port 21. The communication unit 4 can, for example, be configured as an active NFC interface. In this case, the communication unit 4 can be configured to generate an electromagnetic field, for example, in the form of emitted electromagnetic waves in the range of 13.56 megahertz, which corresponds to the NFC standard. Furthermore, the communication unit 4 can have a receiver for generating received signals.

[0030] The received signals can be generated by an interaction between an additional electromagnetic field and one or more antennas of the receiver. This additional electromagnetic field can be generated by an interaction of the transmitted magnetic field with the transponder 3. The received signals contain information that specifies the code 10. In other words, the code 10 can be detected from the received signals. The transponder 3 can be configured to generate the additional electromagnetic field depending on the transmitted electromagnetic field and the code 10. It follows that the received signals contain information for reproducing the code 10. The transmitted electromagnetic field includes, for example, signals with a transmission frequency of, say, 13.56 megahertz, and amplitude modulation of the transmission signal may be provided.

[0031] The amplitude modulation of the emitted electromagnetic field can differ from that of the emitted electromagnetic field. A difference in amplitude modulation can be generated, for example, by an interaction between the emitted electromagnetic field and the transponder 3. For this purpose, the transponder 3 is brought into the immediate vicinity 25 of the communication unit 4. The immediate vicinity 25 can, for example, have a range of 10 centimeters. Outside the immediate vicinity 25, no interaction between the emitted electromagnetic field and the transponder 3 that can be detected by the receiver of the communication unit 4 is possible. The communication unit 4 can be configured according to the Fig. In the variant shown, the charging control unit 22 can be configured to send the received signals to a charging control unit 22 of the vehicle 20. Furthermore, the charging control unit 22 can be configured to send the received signals to the release system 5 via communication lines of the charging cable 2 (not shown in the figures). In this variant, the communication unit 4 can indirectly send the code 10 to the release system 5 via the charging control unit 22.

[0032] The verification code 11 can be stored in a memory of the release system 5. The release system 5 preferably includes a processing unit, such as a microchip, configured to perform a comparison between code 10 and verification code 11. Furthermore, the processing unit can be configured to control the switch such that the charging current 6 is enabled. The processing unit can be configured to switch the power switch to enable the charging current 6 if the comparison between code 10 and verification code 11 shows that code 10 is identical to verification code 11. Furthermore, the processing unit can be programmed to switch the power switch to disable the charging current 6 if code 10 is not identical to verification code 11.

[0033] Fig. Figure 3 shows another sub-variant of the one in Fig. Figure 1 shows a variant of the charging system 1 in which the transponder 3 is arranged on a housing 7 of the release system 5 or the control unit of the charging cable 2. In the latter case, the release system 5 is integrated into the control unit of the charging cable 2. If a first part of the cable, on which the vehicle-side connector 2.1 is located, can be separated from the housing 7 by loosening a mechanical connection, such as a screw connection, and / or a second part of the charging cable, on which the charging station-side connector 2.2 is located, can be separated from the housing 7 by loosening another mechanical connection, such as another screw connection, then theft protection for the release system 5 can be provided.

[0034] Fig. Figure 4 shows another sub-variant of the one in Fig. Figure 1 shows a variant of the charging system 1 in which the communication unit 4 is designed as a communication interface of a mobile device 40. The mobile device 40 can be, for example, a smartphone. The communication interface can be designed as an active NFC interface. To transmit the code 10 from the transponder 3 to the communication unit 4, the communication interface is placed in close proximity to the transponder 3. This close proximity can be defined, for example, as a distance of approximately 10 centimeters from the transponder 3. According to one possible embodiment, the mobile device 40 can be configured to transmit the code 10, which can be read using the communication interface, wirelessly to the release system 5.

[0035] An application program can be installed on a processor of the mobile device 40, which can access an association between the code 10 and a user registered for the charging cable 2. According to one possible embodiment, this association can be stored in memory on the mobile device 40 designated for the application program or in a cloud. In the latter case, the mobile device 40 can be configured to establish a connection to the cloud in order to query and process the association. The association between the code 10 and the registered user can, for example, take the form of an association of the code 10 with an identification number of the mobile device 40.In this case, the processor of mobile device 40 can, by executing the application program, read the identification number of mobile device 40 permanently stored in the device and compare it with the identification number of mobile device 40 specified by the read assignment. If the two identification numbers are identical, the application program can control mobile device 40 in such a way that the mobile device 40 sends the code 10 wirelessly to the release system 5.

[0036] The in Fig. 4 sub-variant shown in Fig. The variant of charging system 1 shown in Figure 1 has the advantage that theft protection for the charging cable 2 can be provided without requiring any modifications to the vehicle 20. The mapping stored in the communication unit 4 or in the cloud can be encrypted with a private key of a certification authority. This can prevent manipulation of the mapping between the identification number of the mobile device 40 and the code 10. In this case, a public key of the certification authority can be stored in the mobile device 40 to decrypt the mapping. Conveniently, the application program includes the public key or can access it. It goes without saying that in this sub-variant, the transponder 3 can alternatively be mounted on the housing 7, as shown in Figure 1. Fig. 3 is shown, it can be arranged.

[0037] Fig. Figure 5 shows another variant of the in Fig. Figure 1 shows a charging system 1 in which the release system 5 is not located on the charging cable 2, but rather a first part 5.1 of the release system 5 is integrated into the vehicle 20. In this variant, the communication unit 4 can, for example, be designed as the communication interface of the mobile device 40 or be integrated into the vehicle 20.

[0038] The following section will describe a sub-variant of the in Fig. The variant of the charging system 1 shown in Figure 5 is described, in which the communication unit 4 is designed as the communication interface of the mobile device 40. To start the charging process of the vehicle 20, the communication interface is held in the immediate vicinity of the transponder 3 in order to read the code 10 using the communication unit 4.

[0039] According to one possible embodiment, the mobile device 40 can be configured to transmit the read code 10 wirelessly to the first part 5.1 of the release system. In this embodiment, the release system 5 can only comprise the first part 5.1. The first part 5.1 can then be configured to compare the code 10 with the verification code 11 and activate the charging current 6 if the verification code 11 is identical to the code 10.

[0040] Alternatively, for example by executing the application program described above, installed on mobile device 40, or another application program, a summary of information containing the code 10 read from transponder 3 and the identification number of mobile device 40 can be compared with verification information stored in the cloud, which also contains the code 10 and the identification number of mobile device 40. If the comparison shows that the summary of information is equal to the verification information stored in the cloud, the communication unit 4 can send a release signal to the first part 5.1 of the release system 5.

[0041] The first part 5.1 of the release system 5 can be configured to switch a switch of the charging port 21 upon receiving the release signal, such that the charging current 6 is enabled for charging the vehicle 20. If the charging current 6 is enabled, the charging current 6 can flow from the charging station 23 via the charging cable 2 to a battery of the vehicle 20 and charge the battery.

[0042] According to one possible variant, the mobile device 40 can be configured to perform the comparison between the aggregated information and the verification information. In this case, the part of the mobile device 40's hardware that can perform this comparison can be considered a second part of the release system 5.

[0043] According to another variant, a cloud server can be configured to perform the comparison between the aggregated information and the verification information. The verification information can be stored on the cloud server. In this case, the cloud server can be considered a second part 5.2 of the release system 5. According to another variant, the mobile device 40 can communicate with the cloud server and send the aggregated information to the cloud server. In this case, the mobile device 40 can send the release signal to the first part 5.1 of the release system 5 if the cloud server confirms that the aggregated information is identical to the verification information. Conveniently, the verification information is encrypted with the private key of the certification authority. However, it is also possible that a communication link between the cloud server and the first part 5.1 of the release system 5 is provided.In this variant, the cloud server can send the release signal to vehicle 20, specifically to the first part 5.1 of the release system 5. In this variant, at least one control unit of vehicle 20 can establish a communication connection to the cloud server to receive the release signal and forward it to the first part 5.1.

[0044] Fig. Figure 6 shows another sub-variant of the one in Fig. Variant 5 of the charging system 1 shown, in which the release system 5 and the communication unit 4 are integrated into the vehicle 20. To start the charging process in this sub-variant, the transponder 3 is placed in the immediate vicinity of the communication unit integrated into the vehicle 20.

[0045] Communication unit 4. The immediate vicinity of communication unit 4 can be limited, for example, to a maximum distance of 10 centimeters from communication unit 4. In this sub-variant, communication unit 4 can have an active NFC interface. When the transponder 3 is brought into the immediate vicinity of communication unit 4, communication unit 4 can read the code 10 from the transponder 3 and transmit it to the release system 5. Analogous to the one in Fig. In the sub-variant of charging system 1 described in section 5, the release system 5 can activate the charging current 6 if the code 10 is identical to the verification code 11.

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