An apparatus and a method for managing replacement of electric vehicle charging stations

Abstract

Example embodiments enable an automatic process for replacement of an electric vehicle charging station. An apparatus (100) is configured to obtain, from a user, a first electric vehicle charging station identifier and a second electric vehicle charging station identifier; obtain one or more configurations of an electric vehicle charging station from a first electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier; monitor for a message from a second electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the second electric vehicle charging station identifier; and upon detecting the message, send at least one configuration message to the second electric vehicle charging station controller to configure the second electric vehicle charging station controller with the one or more configurations and to change the second electric vehicle charging station identifier to the first electric vehicle charging station identifier.

Description

[0001] AN APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR MANAGING REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application generally relates to electric vehicle charging stations . Some example embodiments of the present application relate to management of electric vehicle charging stations when an electric vehicle charging station, or a component in the electric vehicle charging station, gets replaced by a new one .

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Electric vehicle charging stations , or charging stations for short , may have faults for different reasons from time to time . The fault may cause the charging station to stop working, or the charging station may not work properly . When a charging station, or a component therein, breaks , the charging station may need to be replaced with a new one . However, the new charging station may comprise different settings than the old one which may complicate the replacement process and usage of the charging station . Hence , it would be beneficial to alleviate at least some of these drawbacks .

[0006] SUMMARY

[0007] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description . This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subj ect matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subj ect matter . Example embodiments may enable an improved method for managing one or more processes related to a replacement of an electric vehicle charging station . An apparatus may be configured to enable an automatic process , wherein an identifier and configurations of a charging station to be replaced are configured to a new charging station, or a new component replacing a broken one .

[0008] According to a first aspect , an apparatus for managing at least partial replacement of an electric vehicle charging station is provided . The apparatus may comprise at least one proces sor ; and at least one memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to obtain, from a user, a first electric vehicle charging station identifier and a second electric vehicle charging station identifier ; obtain one or more configurations of an electric vehicle charging station from a first electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier ; monitor for a message from a second electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the second electric vehicle charging station identifier ; and upon detecting the message , send at least one configuration message to the second electric vehicle charging station controller to configure the second electric vehicle charging station controller with the one or more configurations and to change the second electric vehicle charging station identifier to the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0009] In an embodiment , the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is online ; send a request for the first electric vehicle charging station controller to obtain the one or more configurations ; receive a response from the first electric vehicle charging station controller comprising the one or more configurations ; and save the one or more configurations with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0010] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the at least one memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to , after the one or more configurations are obtained, send a configuration message for the first electric vehicle charging station controller to change the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0011] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one memory, cause the apparatus to , after the one or more configurations are obtained, set the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller as inoperative .

[0012] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the one or more configurations comprise at least one of one or more configuration keys , configuration values of the one or more configuration keys or a firmware version .

[0013] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to notify the user that an electric vehicle charging station comprising the second electric vehicle charging station controller can be powered on when at least one of the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is set as inoperative , the first electric vehicle charging station identifier is changed or the one or more configurations of the first electric vehicle charging station controller are saved .

[0014] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the message from the second electric vehicle charging station controller comprises a firmware version of the second electric vehicle charging station controller, and wherein the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to , upon receiving the message from the second electric vehicle charging station controller, compare a firmware version of the first electric vehicle charging station controller and the firmware version of the second electric vehicle charging station controller ; and send a firmware update command to the second electric vehicle charging station controller when the firmware version of the first electric vehicle charging station controller and the firmware version of the second electric vehicle charging station controller do not match .

[0015] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the at least one memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to send a request for the second electric vehicle charging station controller to start charging transaction after the second electric vehicle charging station identifier and the one or more configurations are changed; receive a confirmation message from the second electric vehicle charging station controller in response to the request ; and determine the replacement was successful based on the confirmation message .

[0016] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the at least one memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to send a request for the one or more configurations at predetermined intervals to each electric vehicle charging station communicatively coupled with the apparatus ; store the one or more configurations of each electric vehicle charging station based on a received response together with an identifier of the respective electric vehicle charging station ; determine the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is offline ; and configure the second electric vehicle charging station controller with a last saved version of the one or more configurations linked with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier when the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is offline .

[0017] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the response i s further stored together with a serial number of the respective electric vehicle charging station, and the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to obtain a serial number of the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller ; monitor when a status of the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller changes from offline to online based on a received message compri sing the first electric vehicle charging station identifier and the serial number ; upon detecting the status has changed to online , set the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller as inoperative ; and send a configuration message for the first electric vehicle charging station controller to change the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0018] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to detect that a configuration message is sent to at least one of the electric vehicle charging stations ; and update the stored one or more configurations of the respective charging station based on content of the configuration message .

[0019] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to detect that a boot notification is received from at least one of the electric vehicle charging stations ; and store one or more conf igurations with an identifier of the respective electric vehicle charging station obtained from the boot notification .

[0020] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to , after configuration of the second electric vehicle charging station controller, send a notification for the user comprising instructions to connect an electric vehicle to an electric vehicle charging station comprising the second electric vehicle charging station controller for charging; receive a confirmation from the user that the electric vehicle is connected; and send the request to start transaction to the electric vehicle charging station comprising the second electric vehicle charging station controller .

[0021] According to a second aspect , a method is provided . The method may comprise obtaining, from a user, a first electric vehicle charging station identifier and a second electric vehicle charging station identifier ; obtaining one or more configurations of an electric vehicle charging station from a first electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier ; monitoring for a message from a second electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the second electric vehicle charging station identifier ; and upon detecting the message , sending at least one configuration message to the second electric vehicle charging station controller to configure the second electric vehicle charging station controller with the one or more configurations and to change the second electric vehicle charging station identifier to the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0022] In an embodiment , determining the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is online ; sending a request for the first electric vehicle charging station controller to obtain the one or more configurations ; receiving a response from the first electric vehicle charging station controller comprising the one or more configurations ; and saving the one or more configurations with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0023] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, after the one or more configurations are obtained, sending a configuration message for the first electric vehicle charging station controller to change the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0024] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, after the one or more configurations are obtained, setting the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller as inoperative .

[0025] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the one or more configurations comprise at least one of one or more configuration keys , configuration values of the one or more configuration keys or a firmware version .

[0026] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, notifying the user that an electric vehicle charging station comprising the second electric vehicle charging station controller can be powered on when at least one of the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is set as inoperative , the first electric vehicle charging station identifier is changed or the one or more configurations of the first electric vehicle charging station controller are saved .

[0027] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the message from the second electric vehicle charging station controller comprises a firmware version of the second electric vehicle charging station controller, and upon receiving the message from the second electric vehicle charging station controller, comparing a firmware version of the first electric vehicle charging station controller and the firmware version of the second electric vehicle charging station controller ; and sending a firmware update command to the second electric vehicle charging station controller when the firmware version of the first electric vehicle charging station controller and the firmware version of the second electric vehicle charging station controller do not match .

[0028] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, sending a request for the second electric vehicle charging station controller to start charging transaction after the second electric vehicle charging station identity and the one or more configurations are changed; receiving a confirmation message from the second electric vehicle charging station controller in response to the request ; and determining the replacement was successful based on the confirmation message .

[0029] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, sending a request for the one or more configurations at predetermined intervals to each electric vehicle charging station communicatively coupled with the apparatus ; storing the one or more configurations of each electric vehicle charging station based on a received response together with an identifier of the respective electric vehicle charging station ; determining the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is offline ; and configure the second electric vehicle charging station controller with a last saved version of the one or more configurations linked with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier when the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is offline .

[0030] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the response is further stored together with a serial number of the respective electric vehicle charging station , and obtaining a serial number of the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller ; monitoring when a status of the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller changes from offline to online based on a received message comprising the first electric vehicle charging station identifier and the serial number ; upon detecting the status has changed to online , setting the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller as inoperative ; and sending a configuration message for the first electric vehicle charging station controller to change the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0031] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, detecting that a configuration message is sent to at least one of the electric vehicle charging stations ; and updating the stored one or more configurations of the respective charging station based on content of the configuration message .

[0032] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, detecting that a boot noti fication is received from at least one of the electric vehicle charging stations ; and storing one or more configurations with an identifier of the respective electric vehicle charging station obtained from the boot notification .

[0033] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, after configuration of the second electric vehicle charging station controller, sending a notification for the user comprising instructions to connect an electric vehicle to an electric vehicle charging station comprising the second electric vehicle charging station controller for charging; receiving a confirmation from the user that the electric vehicle is connected; and sending the request to start transaction to the electric vehicle charging station comprising the second electric vehicle charging station controller .

[0034] According to a third aspect computer program product is provided, comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer carry out the method of the second aspect .

[0035] According to a fourth aspect , there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of the second aspect .

[0036] Many of the attendant features wil l be more readily appreciated as they become better understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings .

[0037] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The accompanying drawings , which are included to provide a further understanding of the example embodiments and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate example embodiments and together with the description help to explain the principles of the example embodiments . In the drawings :

[0039] FIG . 1 illustrates an example of an apparatus configured to practice one or more example embodiments ; FIG . 2 illustrates an example of electric vehicle charging stations communicatively coupled with an apparatus according to an example embodiment ;

[0040] FIG . 3 illustrates an example of a maintenance user interface according to an example embodiment ;

[0041] FIG . 4 illustrates another example of a maintenance user interface according to an example embodiment ;

[0042] FIG . 5 illustrates an example of a flow chart of a configuration backup according to an example embodiment ;

[0043] FIG . 6 illustrates an example of a flow chart of an electric vehicle charging station reboot process according to an example embodiment ;

[0044] FIG . 7 illustrates an example of a flow chart of a backup of electric vehicle charging station configurations according to an example embodiment ;

[0045] FIG . 8 illustrates an example of a flow chart of updating a backup of electric vehicle charging station configurations according to an example embodiment ;

[0046] FIG . 9 illustrates an example of a flow chart of an automatic process for replacing an electric vehicle charging station according to an example embodiment ; and

[0047] FIG . 10 illustrates an example of a flow chart of a method to manage a replacement process of an electric vehicle charging station according to an example embodiment .

[0048] Like references may be used to designate like parts in the accompanying drawings .

[0049] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Reference will now be made in detail to example embodiments , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . The detailed description provided below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the present examples and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present examples may be constructed or utili zed . The description sets forth the functions of the example and a possible sequence of operations for constructing and operating the example . However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different examples .

[0051] Electric vehicle charging stations (CS ) are used to charge electric vehicles (EV) . In this disclosure , the electric vehicle charging stations can be called charging stations or EVC stations . The charging stations may be connected to an apparatus configured to manage the charging stations , for example , with OCPP protocol (Open Charge Point Protocol ) . The apparatus may be compri sed, for example , in a Charging Station Management System (CSMS ) . OCPP messages may be related to communication between a charging station and a CSMS . EV drivers use electric vehicles (EV) and charge their EVs at charging stations .

[0052] Each charging station may have a unique identifier . An identifier may be referred to as an identity . The identifier may take any configured form . For example , an identifier may comprise a pref ix and a running number, for example "AA_001" . For example , when a charging station connects to the apparatus , it may open a websocket connection which includes the identifier at the end of the connection URL, for example "wss : / / csms . example . com / ocpp / AA_001" . The apparatus may be configured to recogni ze which charging station it is communicating with based on the identifier in the URL .

[0053] The apparatus may store various data linked to a charging station . The linked data may be identified by the identifier of the charging station . The data may comprise , for example , Point-of- Interest ( POI ) data such as address , Global Positioning System (GPS ) coordinates , photos , and the like . The apparatus may also keep track of other features defined by the identifier of charging station, such as charging transactions , access rights and audit trail s . The identifier of a charging station may be key information that is linked to various data in the apparatus .

[0054] EV charging stations are physical devices . The EV charging stations may comprise a plurality of electrical components . The electrical components may comprise , for example, a socket configured for charging an EV and an energy meter configured for monitoring charging events at the EV charging station . One of main components of a charging station is a controller . The identifier of the charging station may be configured to the controller . A controller may also comprise one or more configurations of the respective EV charging station . These configurations may be by default factory configurations . One or more configurations of a charging station, including the default factory configurations , may be changed by a control system, such as the apparatus . Configurations of an EV charging station may be changed remotely, for example , by the apparatus . Alternatively, or in addition, one or more configurations of an EV charging station may be changed locally, for example , through an admin interface of the EV charging station .

[0055] I f the controller or some other component of the charging station breaks , the broken component may need to be replaced . It might be possible to replace only the broken component , but it is more common to replace the whole broken charging station ( including the controller) with a new working charging station .

[0056] When a controller ( or the whole charging station) gets replaced, the new controller may have a new identifier configured for a charging station . This creates problems when the old ( replaced) charging station had non-default configurations . The old charging station may have also had some POI data set stored by the apparatus . The new ( replacement ) charging station may have default factory configuration stored on the controller and on the apparatus . The old and the new charging stations may be physically different charging stations . Alternatively, the old and the new charging stations may refer to the same charging station in that sense that e . g . , a casing is not replaced but the controller is replaced ( and consequently, the identifier for the charging station is changed) . For example , a maximum current setting may be different between the old and new charging station / controller . The different maximum current settings may cause problems for utili zation of the new charging station or functioning of a network of charging station the charging station belongs to . Additionally, the apparatus may not know where the new charging station is located, s ince there may be no POI data . The new charging station may also have a different firmware version compared to the old charging station .

[0057] An obj ective is to provide a user interface enabling automated process for changing configurations and an identifier of a charging station stored at a controller . Hence , a replacement process of charging stations may be made more convenient . In addition, the identifier stored at a replaced controller may be configured to be automatically changed such that there will be no two charging stations with the same identifier, for example, if the old controller / charging station was fixed and reinstalled at another location later . Hence , safety and proper functioning of a network of charging stations may be ensured during and after the replacement . Further, a backup process for keeping a local copy of configurations and firmware of charging stations is provided . I f copying the configurations was done manually, the work would be time consuming and prone to errors . Further, it may not be possible to manually copy charging history from one charging station to another due to audit trail requirements . Furthermore , this would not solve firmware issues , thus a separate firmware update would be needed . The replacement process may be implemented through cloud, and through the standard OCPP protocol . The replacement process may thus be implemented with all different station models (no vendor-specific functionality needed) . For example , when OCPP based messages are used, the automatic replacement process can be applicable to any charging station with OCPP compatibility . However, the procedures are not limited to OCPP .

[0058] FIG . 1 illustrates an example of an apparatus configured to perform one or more example embodiments .

[0059] The apparatus 100 may comprise at least one processor 102 . The at least one processor 102 may comprise , for example , one or more of various processing devices , such as for example a co-processor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor ( DSP) , a processing circuitry with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices including integrated circuits such as , for example , an application specific integrated circuit (AS IC) , a field programmable gate array ( FPGA) , a microcontroller unit (MCU) , a hardware accelerator, a special-purpose computer chip, or the like .

[0060] The apparatus 100 may further comprise at least one memory 104 . The memory 104 may be configured to store , for example , instructions such as computer program code 106 or the like , for example operating system software and application software . The memory 104 may comprise one or more volatile memory devices , one or more non-volatile memory devices , and / or a combination thereof . For example , the memory 104 may be embodied as magnetic storage devices ( such as hard disk drives , magnetic tapes , etc . ) , optical magnetic storage devices , or semiconductor memories ( such as mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM) , EPROM (erasable PROM) , flash ROM, RAM ( random access memory) , etc . ) .

[0061] The apparatus 100 may further comprise a communication interface 108 configured to enable the apparatus 100 to transmit information to other devices . The communication interface 108 may further be configured to enable the apparatus 100 to receive information from other devices . The apparatus 100 may be configured to , for example , exchange data with one or more charging stations , user devices , vehicles , and the like . The communication interface 108 may be configured to provide at least one wireless radio connection, such as for example a 3GPP mobile broadband connection (e . g . 3G, 4G, 5G) . However, the communication interface 108 may be conf igured to provide one or more other type of connections , for example a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection such as for example standardi zed by IEEE 802 . 11 series or Wi-Fi alliance ; a short range wireless network connection such as for example a Bluetooth, NFC (near-field communication) , or RFID connection ; a wired connection such as for example a local area network (LAN) connection, a universal serial bus (USB) connection or an optical network connection, or the like ; or a wired Internet connection . Communication interface 208 may comprise , or be configured to be coupled to, at least one antenna to transmit and / or receive radio frequency signals . One or more of the various types of connections may be also implemented as separate communication interfaces , which may be coupled or configured to be coupled to a plurality of antennas .

[0062] The apparatus 100 may further comprise a user interface 110 compris ing or coupled to an input device and / or an output device . The user interface 110 may be configured to enable a user to provide control inputs to the apparatus 100 via the input device . The input device may comprise a keyboard, a touch display, or the like . Further, the user interface 110 may be configured to provide information to the user via the output device . The output device may comprise a screen, a display, a speaker, or the like . The information may comprise data related to charging stations and / or progress information of one or more processes , for example .

[0063] When the apparatus 100 is configured to implement some functionality, some component and / or components of the apparatus 100 , such as for example the at least one processor 102 and / or the at least one memory 104 , may be configured to implement this functionality . Furthermore , when the at least one processor 102 is configured to implement some functionality, this functionality may be implemented using program code 106 comprised, for example , in the memory 104 .

[0064] In an embodiment , the apparatus 100 may be configured to automatically update at least one of an identifier or one or more settings of a charging station replacing another charging station . The identifier and settings may be updated to a new controller based on the identifier and settings stored at an old controller . The update process may be initiated in response to an input from a user . The input from the user may comprise identifiers of charging stations involved in the replacement process . The input may further comprise instructions to start the update for replacement . The update may be based on backup data stored by the apparatus for the update process .

[0065] The apparatus 100 may be configured to store configurations of one or more charging stations for the backup data . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to store configuration data of the one or more charging stations . The configuration data may be stored at least one of upon a reboot of a respective charging station or at regular intervals . The configuration data may comprise one or more configurations of the charging station . The configuration data may be l inked with an identi fier of the respective charging station . The configuration data may be further linked with a serial number of the respective charging station . The apparatus 100 may be configured to store the configuration data of each charging station communicatively coupled with the apparatus 100 . The apparatus 100 may be further configured to manage the configurations of the charging stations . For example , if the apparatus 100 and the charging stations are configured to operate based on an OCPP protocol , the apparatus 100 may be configured to request configurations of the charging stations by using an OCPP getConf iguration message . However, the OCPP protocol is only an example , and the disclosure is not limited to any specific protocol .

[0066] The functionality described herein may be performed, at least in part , by one or more computer program product components such as software components . According to an embodiment , the apparatus comprises a processor or processor circuitry, such as for example a microcontroller, configured by the program code when executed to execute the embodiments of the operations and functionality described . Alternatively, or in addition, the functionality described herein can be performed, at least in part , by one or more hardware logic components . For example , and without limitation, illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used include Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs ) , application-specific Integrated Circuits (AS ICs ) , application-specific Standard Products (ASSPs ) , System- on-a-chip systems ( SOCs ) , Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs ) , Graphics Processing Units (GPUs ) .

[0067] The apparatus 100 may comprise means for performing at least one method described herein . In one example , the means comprises the at least one processor 102 , the at least one memory 104 including program code 106 configured to , when executed by the at least one processor 102 , cause the apparatus 100 to perform the method .

[0068] The apparatus 100 may comprise for example a computing device such as for example a server device , a client device , a mobile phone , a CSMS , a tablet computer, a laptop, or the like . Although the apparatus 100 is illustrated as a single device it is appreciated that , wherever applicable , functions of the apparatus 100 may be distributed to a plurality of devices . For example , the apparatus 100 may operate in a cloud, i . e . , remotely via the Internet .

[0069] FIG . 2 illustrates an example of electric vehicle charging stations communicatively coupled with the apparatus 100 according to an example embodiment .

[0070] The apparatus 100 may be configured to manage a network of charging stations . The network may comprise , for example , one or more groups of EV charging stations . A group may comprise at least one charging station, such as a first charging station 200 . The apparatus 100 may be communicatively coupled with each charging station of the network . The charging stations and the apparatus 100 may be wirelessly coupled . The apparatus 100 may be configured to perform operations via a cloud . The first charging station 200 may comprise one or more configurations , which configurations may be non-default . The one or more configurations may be stored at the apparatus 100 , together with an identifier of the first charging station 200 . The apparatus 100 may be further configured to store POI data associated with the first charging station 200 . The apparatus 100 may be further configured to store other information, such as a firmware version and / or serial number of the first charging station . The POI data may comprise , for example , at least one of an address or geographical coordinates of the first charging station 200 . I f the first charging station 200 gets broken, it may be replaced with a second charging station 202 . The first charging station may be also referred to as an old charging station or a replaced charging station, and the second charging station may be referred to as a new charging station or a replacement charging station ( replacing the old charging station) . The second charging station 202 may comprise one or more configurations , which may be different from the configurations of the first charging station 200 . For example , the second charging station 202 may comprise default factory-set configurations . For example , before the first charging station 200 got broken, the first charging station 200 may have been set with two configurations . The example configurations may comprise a maximum current set for the first charging station 200 , such as 16 A . The example configurations may further comprise , for example , a plug and charge feature enabled . A plug and charge feature may refer to a configuration allowing automated communication and billing processes between an electric vehicle and the charging station without a need for external identification (e . g . RFID cards , debit / credit cards or a charging application) . The configurations of the second charging station 202 may be different , such as having a maximum current set to 32 A and / or the plug and charge feature being disabled ( i . e . , setting of the plug and charge feature is set to ' false ' ) . Further, the apparatus 100 may not have any POI data settings stored for the second charging station 202 , such as an address or geographical coordinates .

[0071] The first charging station 200 and the second charging station 202 may have different identifiers ( identities ) . An identifier of the first charging station 200 may be , for example , "AA_001" . An identifier of the second charging station 202 may be , for example , "AA_052" . I f j ust an identifier of a charging station is changed at the apparatus 100 , this may cause problems . For example , if the first charging station 200 was replaced with the second charging station 202 without changing any settings , it could even be dangerous . For example , the second charging station 202 would have too high current ( 32 A instead of 16 A) and the plug and charge feature would not work . Further, the apparatus 100 would not know where the charging station is located because there is no POI data stored for the respective charging station . There may be also other problems caused by the different settings , such as the second charging station 202 having a different firmware version than the replaced charging station .

[0072] In an example embodiment , the apparatus 100 may be configured to provide an automatic replacement process , wherein both identifier and configurations related data is updated at the apparatus 100 and at least one of the charging station to be replaced or the replacement charging station . The apparatus 100 may be configured to obtain configurations of charging stations at predetermined intervals and store the configurations as backup data, wherein the configurations of each charging station is linked with an identifier of the respective charging station . In addition, or alternatively, the apparatus 100 may be configured to detect when a configuration of a charging station changes . The apparatus 100 may be configured to update the backup data with the changed configuration . For example , when the apparatus 100 and the network of charging stations operate according to OCPP, the apparatus 100 may be configured to use OCPP GetConf iguration-command to obtain configurations of a charging station, and OCPP BootNotif ication message to obtain the firmware version of the charging station . The backup data may further comprise at least one of the firmware version or a serial number of a charging station, linked with the identifier of the respective charging station .

[0073] The apparatus 100 may be configured to obtain an indication when a charging station is replaced . In response to the indication, the apparatus 100 may be configured to change the identifier of the replacement charging station to the identifier of the charging station which is replaced . The apparatus 100 may be further configured to copy one or more configurations of the replaced charging station to the replacement charging station . Settings of the replacement charging station may be updated, for example , using OCPP ChangeConfiguration-command and / or Firmware Updatemessage . As a result , the replacement charging station may be a "clone" of the replaced charging station, both in data stored at the apparatus 100 and in an internal configuration of the charging station .

[0074] Although the replaced charging station and the replacement charging station may be separate charging stations , the procedure is al so appl icable when only a controller is replaced from the charging station as the controller stores the identity and configurations of a charging station . For example , the first charging station 200 may comprise a first controller configured with a first electric vehicle charging station identifier . The second charging station 202 may comprise a second controller configured with a second electric vehicle charging station identifier . In an embodiment , the first controller is replaced by the second controller, while casing and other components of the first charging station may remain unchanged . When the apparatus 100 exchanges messages with charging stations , the apparatus 100 may exchange messages with controllers of the charging stations . For example , the apparatus 100 may change configurations and identifiers stored at the first controller and the second controller . FIG . 3 illustrates an example of a user interface for maintenance purposes according to an example embodiment . The user interface 300 may be provided by the apparatus 100 . The apparatus 100 may be configured to receive user inputs via the user interface 300 . The apparatus 100 may be further configured to display data for the user via the user interface 300 . The data may comprise , for example , progress information and instructions related to a replacement proces s of a charging station .

[0075] The apparatus 100 may be configured to receive , via the user interface 300 , an indication of which charging station (with a first controller) will be replaced . The indication may comprise an identifier of the charging station . The apparatus 100 may further receive from the user an indication of which charging station (with a second controller) replaces the old one . The indication may comprise an identifier of the replacement charging station . For example , the user interface may comprise one or more interface elements 302 for receiving the user inputs , such as text fields , drop-down buttons or lists , list boxes or checkboxes . The user interface 300 may further comprise one or more other user interface elements 304 al lowing the user to save or cancel their selections or indications of the identifiers . The apparatus 100 may be configured to output a list of identifiers of a network of charging stations to the user interface 300 . The apparatus 100 may be further configured to output other data to help the user to select a correct charging station , such as POI data associated with charging stations or a map with locations and identifiers of the charging stations . The apparatus 100 may also receive as an input from the user an identifier of a charging station not yet on a list of charging stations managed by the apparatus 100 . After obtaining the identifier of the replacement charging station and the identifier of the charging station to be replaced, the apparatus 100 may be configured to initiate the replacement process .

[0076] FIG . 4 illustrates another example of a user interface 400 for maintenance purposes according to an example embodiment . During the replacement process , the charging station (with a first controller) to be replaced may be either online or offline . When the charging station (with the first controller) to be replaced is online , configurations of the charging station may be still working . After obtaining the identifiers of the charging stations to be used in the replacement process , the apparatus 100 may be configured to retrieve one or more conf igurations of the charging station to be replaced (e . g . , having an identifier "AA_001" ) . For example , the apparatus 100 may request for the one or more configurations from the first controller of the charging station AA_001 . Alternatively, the apparatus 100 may be configured to fetch the one or more configurations from backup data stored at the apparatus 100 . For example , the apparatus 100 may fetch latest configurations stored for the identifier AA_001 . After the apparatus 100 has obtained the one or more configurations , the apparatus 100 may be configured to rename the identifier AA_001 of the old charging station and set the charging station AA_001 as inoperative , for example , by sending a configuration message to the first controller with the identi fier AA_001 .

[0077] The apparatus 100 may be configured to display one or more messages to the user indicating progress of the replacement process . For example , the user interface 400 may be configured to show a message 402 determined by the apparatus 100 , wherein the user is notified that the charging station with the first controller is set to be inoperative , the identifier of the charging station to be replaced is changed, one or more configurations of stored at the first controller are backed up, and / or that the charging station ( or the first controller) can now be physically replaced by the user . Then, the user may proceed to disconnect the charging station / the first controller AA_001 , install a new charging station comprising a second controller (e . g . , having an identifier AA_052 ) to the same place where the charging station AA_001 was located or install the second controller to the old charging station, and power up the charging station with the second controller AA_0052 .

[0078] When the new charging station ( or the old charging station with the second controller) AA_052 is powered up, the apparatus 100 may be configured to receive a boot notification from said charging station / controller . Based on the boot notification, the apparatus 100 may be configured to detect that the charging station with the second controller is instructed to replace the old one (AA_001 ) based on the previously obtained identifiers . Thereafter, the apparatus 100 may be configured to copy the one or more configurations backed up from the first controller AA_001 to the second controller AA_052 . The apparatus 100 may be further conf igured to change the identifier of the charging station AA_052 stored at the second controller to the identifier AA_001 . In addition, the apparatus 100 may be configured to update firmware of the charging station comprising the second controller to match a firmware version of the old one .

[0079] After the apparatus 100 has updated the identifier, configurations and / or firmware , the apparatus 100 may be conf igured to display to the user via the user interface 400 how the replacement proces s has progressed . For example, the user interface 400 may notify the user when the identifier ( s ) has been renamed, when the one or more configurations has been copied and / or when the firmware has been updated . The apparatus 100 may be further configured to notify when the replacement is ready (with the new inf ormation / conf igurations from the old broken charging station) and instruct the user that the charging station comprising the second controller can be tested .

[0080] For example , the user may be instructed to connect an EV to the new charging station ( or the old charging station now comprising the second controller) to test that the charging station operates properly . After the EV is connected ( i . e . , a charging cable of the EV is coupled with the charging station) , the apparatus 100 may receive a notification from the user confirming that the charging station is ready to be tested . The notification may be received via the user interface 400 . The apparatus 100 may be then configured to send a message, such as a remote start transaction command, to the second controller ( the new AA_001 ) . The apparatus 100 may be configured to check that the command is accepted . For example , the apparatus 100 may monitor for a start ( charging) transaction command confirmation received from the charging station comprising the second controller . Transaction may refer to a part of a charging process that starts when relevant preconditions (e . g . , authori zation, plug inserted) are met .

[0081] I f the old charging station / the first controller is offline , it may not be able to communicate with the apparatus 100 . Hence , for example the configurations to be copied to the new charging station / the second controller may not be retrieved from the first controller . In an embodiment , the apparatus 100 may be configured to store the configurations in advance to avoid the situation that some needed data is not available at the time of the replacement . The apparatus 100 may be configured to request data of one or more configurations regularly at least from the charging stations which identifiers are inputted by the user as to be replaced . Alternatively, the apparatus 100 may be configured to request the one or more configurations from each charging station managed by the apparatus 100 . The apparatus 100 may be configured to store a local database with identifiers of the charging stations linked with their respective configuration details for backup data, such as configuration keys and values of the configuration keys . The apparatus 100 may be configured to monitor for changed configurations of the charging stations . I f a configuration value is changed between the send requests for configuration data, the apparatus 100 may be configured to update the local database with the latest configuration value . In addition, when a charging station is rebooted, the apparatus 100 may be configured to store a serial number of the charging station . The serial number may be stored with the identifier of the charging station . This way, the apparatus 100 may be aware of which serial number is linked to which identifier, and for example if two charging stations had the same identifier for some reason, the apparatus 100 may be able to separate them by the serial number .

[0082] With the local database , the apparatus 100 is able to copy configurations of the charging station comprising the first controller to the charging station comprising the second controller also when the charging station comprising the first controller is offline , e . g . completely broken . The apparatus 100 may be further configured to set a trigger based on at least one of the identifier or the serial number of the charging station with the first controller to perform one or more operations when a charging station comprising the first controller is detected to be online . The one or more operations may comprise at least one of setting the charging station comprising the first controller inoperable and / or changing the charging station identifier stored at the first controller . I f the charging station with the first controller never becomes online again, nothing may happen . I f at some point in the future the charging station is however connected again to the apparatus 100 , the apparatus 100 is configured to perform the triggered operation ( s ) .

[0083] FIG . 5 illustrates an example of a flow chart of configuration backup of charging stations according to an example embodiment .

[0084] At 500 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to store an identifier of one or more charging stations . In addition to the identifier, also a serial number of the charging station may be stored . An individual charging station may be identi fied by the identifier and / or the serial number of the charging station .

[0085] When a charging station is rebooted, the charging station ( or a controller of the charging station) may be configured to report at least one of the identifier, serial number and / or firmware version to the apparatus 100 . When the apparatus 100 obtains the firmware version, the apparatus 100 may create at 502 a firmware backup linked to the identifier and / or serial number of the respective charging station / controller . Data stored in the firmware backup may comprise at least one of a timestamp of the backup and / or firmware vers ion information .

[0086] The apparatus 100 may be configured to fetch one or more configurations of the charging stations ( stored at the controllers ) for configuration backup data at 504 . The one or more configurations may be fetched at predetermined intervals , such as once a day . However, the configuration backup data may be also updated at any other configured interval , such as once a week or multiple times a day . The configuration backup may comprise at least one latest configuration of the charging station stored at 506 . The configuration may comprise , for example , key-value pairs of the configuration . FIG . 6 illustrates an example of a flow chart of an electric vehicle charging station reboot process according to an example embodiment .

[0087] At 600 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to receive a boot notification from a first charging station . A boot notification may be received from a charging station after start-up . A boot notification may comprise information about configuration of the charging station (e . g . , version, vendor, identifier, settings , etc . ) .

[0088] At 602 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to determine if there is a reboot trigger set for the charging station which sent the boot notification . For example , the reboot trigger may be conf igured based on a user input and a status of the charging station . Based on the user input, the identifier of the first charging station may be linked to an identifier of a second charging station to replace the first charging station . After receiving the user input , the apparatus 100 may check the status of the first charging station . I f the status is offline , the apparatus 100 may be configured to set the reboot trigger for the first charging station .

[0089] I f there is no reboot trigger set for the first charging station, the apparatus 100 may be configured to read the identifier, a serial number and / or a firmware version of the charging station from the boot notification and save them to configuration backup data at 610 . When the configurations of the first charging station are backed up, the configurations are available for the apparatus 100 even if the first charging station is later replaced while being completely broken ( therefore off line , and the reboot trigger wi ll be set for the first charging station) and unable to provide the configurations . At 612 , the apparatus 100 and the first charging station may continue with normal reboot operations , and the process ends when the apparatus 100 has processed the boot notification .

[0090] I f there is reboot trigger set for the first charging station, the apparatus 100 may be configured at 604 to set the first charging station to inoperative and rename the identifier of the first charging station . This enables , that the first charging station may not be mixed up with the second charging station which has been renamed with the original identifier of the first charging station during replacement while the first charging station has been offline . The first charging station may be renamed such that it can be distinguished as being a disabled charging station . Thereafter, the apparatus 100 may be configured to remove the reboot trigger at 606 .

[0091] At 608 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to reboot the first charging station such that the first charging station connects to the apparatus 100 with the new identifier . The apparatus 100 may continue to monitor new boot notifications at 600 . The messaging may be performed with a controller of the first charging station storing the identifier and configurations of the charging station .

[0092] FIG . 7 illustrates an example of a flow chart of a backup of electric vehicle charging station configurations according to an example embodiment . The apparatus 100 may be configured to perform a backup batch run at a predetermined interval , e . g . daily .

[0093] At 700 , the apparatus 100 may initiate the backup process . The backup process may be looped through each charging station managed by the apparatus 100 .

[0094] At 702 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to send a message to each of the charging stations to get latest configurations from the respective charging station, e . g . , stored at control lers of the charging stations . At 704 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to save the obtained configurations to configuration backup data of the charging station . Hence, when a replacement process is triggered, the configurations of a charging station to be replaced may be readily available at the apparatus and used to be copied to a replacement charging station .

[0095] FIG . 8 illustrates an example of a flow chart of updating a backup of electric vehicle charging station configurations according to an example embodiment . The apparatus 100 may be configured to monitor any changes in configurations of the charging stations stored at controllers of the charging stations , and update the configuration backup data with the changes .

[0096] At 800 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to obtain the latest configuration update of a charging station . The configuration may be updated by the apparatus itself . The configuration update may comprise , for example , a changed configuration key . A configuration key may be , for example , a string that corresponds to a configuration parameter . Configuration parameters may be set based on the conf iguration keys . For example , a value for a configuration may be changed based on the configuration key or the configuration key may be used to enable or disable a configuration .

[0097] At 802 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to update the configuration backup data with the latest configuration update . For example , the configuration backup data may be updated with the changed configuration key .

[0098] At 804 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to save the updated configuration backup data . The updated configuration backup data may comprise the previous and updated configurations . The configurations may be stored with a timestamp to distinguish a latest version of the configuration backup data . FIG . 9 illustrates an example of a flow chart of replacing an electric vehicle charging station according to an example embodiment .

[0099] At 900 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to ask a user to enter an identifier of a new and an old charging station participating in the replacement . The apparatus 100 may provide means for the user to input the identifiers . Communication between the user and the apparatus 100 may be performed, for example , via the user interface 300 . The identifiers may be added by the apparatus 100 to a replacement process wait list .

[0100] At 902 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to determine i f the old charging station i s stil l online . I f the old charging station is online , the apparatus 100 may proceed to operation 904 . I f the old charging station is not online, the apparatus 100 may proceed to operation 908 .

[0101] At 904 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to create and save a new settings / conf igurations backup . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to send a request for the old charging station to obtain information of latest settings of the old charging station . The apparatus 100 may then receive a response from the charging station, the response comprising the requested configurations and other information . Based on the request , the apparatus 100 may save a configuration profile with configuration keys and values . The configuration profile may further comprise a timestamp indicating when the profile was created . The response may further comprise a firmware version of the charging station . Alternatively, the firmware version may be obtained from a boot notification of the old charging station .

[0102] At 906, the apparatus 100 may be configured to rename the identifier of the old charging station . The renamed identifier may be such that it may not conflict with the new charging station or any operable charging stations . Renaming may be performed because two charging stations should not have the same identifier . For example , if the identifier was "AA_001" , it can be renamed to "AA_001_disabled_2023-02 -28" . However, this is one example , and the charging station can also be renamed differently . The apparatus 100 may be configured to , for example , send a command to change a configuration of the old charging station with a configuration key being the identifier of the charging station and the configuration value the old identifier + "disabled_<timestamp>" .

[0103] The apparatus 100 may be further configured to disable operation of the old charging station, i . e . , set it to an inoperative condition . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to set connectors of the old charging station as inoperative by sending a command to the charging station to change an availability status of the charging station . After the change of availability status , the charging station may not be used anymore for charging .

[0104] At 908 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to create a trigger to change the identifier of the new charging station . For example , the apparatus 100 may monitor when a message (e . g . , boot notification) is received from the new charging station, indicative that the new charging station has become online and is capable of communicating . The apparatus 100 may be configured to check if an identifier comprised in a boot notification is on the replacement process wait list as the new charging station .

[0105] At 910 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to ask the user to power up the new charging station . In addition, or alternatively, the apparatus 100 may wait until the new charging station is online and any message is received from the new charging station .

[0106] Upon receiving the message , the apparatus 100 may be configured to rename the identifier of the new charging station to the old identifier of the old charging station at 912 . Renaming may be performed, for example , with a command sent to the new charging station to change configuration with the configuration key being the identifier and the configuration value the old identifier of the old charging station . Further, at 914 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to restore one or more configurations from the configurations backup data of the old charging station to the new charging station . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to send a new command to the new charging station to change configuration, wherein the configuration keys and values are retrieved from the backup data . At 916, the apparatus 100 may be further configured to update a firmware of the new charging station according to a firmware version of the old charging station . For example, the apparatus 100 may be configured to compare the firmware versions of the new charging station and the old charging station based on information comprised in their respective boot notifications . I f the firmware versions do not match, the firmware version update may be performed .

[0107] At 918 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to indicate to the user that the replacement is ready . The apparatus 100 may further ask the user to test the new charging station, for example , by initiating charging of an EV . The new charging station may now appear as the old charging station to users and a charging station management system, including the apparatus . The new charging station may have the same identifier, configurations and firmware as the old charging station .

[0108] The procedures are also applicable in case only a controller of a broken charging station i s replaced . Hence , the communication performed between the apparatus 100 and the old / new charging station may also refer to communication of the apparatus with an old controller of the broken charging station and a new controller of the broken charging station . Also , when the old and the new charging stations are wholly different charging stations ( i . e . , the old charging station is replaced with a completely new charging station) , the messaging and configurations may be performed between the apparatus and the controllers of the respective charging stations .

[0109] FIG . 10 illustrates an example of a flow chart of a method 1000 to manage electric vehicle charging station identifier according to an example embodiment . The method may be performed by a computing device, such as the apparatus 100 .

[0110] At 1002 , the method may comprise obtaining, from a user , a first electric vehicle charging station identifier and a second electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0111] At 1004 , the method may comprise obtaining one or more configurations of an electric vehicle charging station from a first electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0112] At 1006 , the method may comprise monitoring for a message from a second electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the second electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0113] At 1008 , the method may comprise upon detecting the message , sending at least one configuration message to the second electric vehicle charging station controller to configure the second electric vehicle charging station controller with the one or more configurations and to change the second electric vehicle charging station identifier to the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .

[0114] Further features of the methods directly result from the functionalities and parameters of the apparatus as described in the appended claims and throughout the specification and are therefore not repeated here . It is noted that one or more operations of the method may be performed in different order .

[0115] It is obvious to a person skil led in the art that with the advancement of technology, the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in various ways . The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above , instead they may vary within the scope of the claims .

[0116] An apparatus may be configured to perform or cause performance of any aspect of the method ( s ) described herein . Further, a computer program may comprise instructions for causing, when executed, an apparatus to perform any aspect of the method ( s ) described herein . Further, an apparatus may comprise means for performing any aspect of the method ( s ) described herein . According to an example embodiment , the means comprises at least one processor , and memory including program code , the at one memory and the program code configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause performance of any aspect of the method ( s ) .

[0117] Any range or device value given herein may be extended or altered without losing the effect sought . Also , any embodiment may be combined with another embodiment unless explicitly disallowed .

[0118] Although subj ects may be referred to as ' first ' or ' second' subj ects , this does not necessarily indicate any order or importance of the subj ects . Instead, such attributes may be used solely for the purpose of making a difference between subj ects .

[0119] Although the subj ect matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or acts , it is to be understood that the subj ect matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above . Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims and other equivalent features and acts are intended to be within the scope of the claims .

[0120] It will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or may relate to several embodiments . The embodiments are not limited to those that solve any or all of the stated problems or those that have any or all of the stated benefits and advantages . It will further be understood that reference to ' an ' item may refer to one or more of those items .

[0121] The operations of the methods described herein may be carried out in any suitable order, or simultaneously where appropriate . Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from any of the methods without departing from the scope of the subj ect matter described herein . Aspects of any of the embodiments described above may be combined with aspects of any of the other embodiments described to form further embodiments without losing the effect sought .

[0122] The term ' comprising ' is used herein to mean including the method, blocks , or elements identified, but that such blocks or elements do not comprise an exclusive list and a method or apparatus may contain additional blocks or elements .

[0123] As used in this application, the term ' circuitry' may refer to one or more or all of the following : ( a) hardware-only circuit implementations ( such as implementations in only analog and / or digital circuitry) and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software , such as ( as applicable ) : ( i ) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuit ( s ) with sof tware / f irmware and ( ii ) any portions of hardware processor ( s ) with software ( including digital signal processor ( s ) ) , software , and memory ( ies ) that work together to cause an apparatus , such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions ) and ( c ) hardware circuit ( s ) and or processor ( s ) , such as a microprocessor ( s ) or a portion of a microprocessor ( s ) , that requires software (e . g . , firmware ) for operation, but the software may not be present when it is not needed for operation . This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims .

[0124] As a further example , as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor ( or multiple processors ) or portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its ( or their) accompanying software and / or firmware . The term circuitry also covers , for example and if applicable to the particular claim element , a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in server, a cellular network device , or other computing or network device .

[0125] It will be understood that the above description is given by way of example only and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art . The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary embodiments . Although various embodiments have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, or with reference to one or more individual embodiments , those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from scope of this specification .

Claims

CLAIMS1 . An apparatus for managing replacement of at least a controller of an electric vehicle charging station, the apparatus comprising : at least one processor ; and at least one memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to : obtain, from a user, a first electric vehicle charging station identifier and a second electric vehicle charging station identifier ; obtain one or more configurations of an electric vehicle charging station from a first electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier ; monitor for a message from a second electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the second electric vehicle charging station identifier indicating that the first electric vehicle charging station controller of the electric vehicle charging station is replaced with the second electric vehicle charging station controller ; and upon detecting the message , send at least one configuration message to the second electric vehicle charging station controller to configure the second electric vehicle charging station controller with the one or more configurations and to change the second electric vehicle charging station identifier to the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to : determine the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is online ;send a request for the first electric vehicle charging station controller to obtain the one or more configurations ; receive a response from the first electric vehicle charging station controller comprising the one or more configurations ; and save the one or more configurations with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the at least one memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to : after the one or more configurations are obtained, send a configuration message for the first electric vehicle charging station controller to change the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .4 . The apparatus of claim 2 or 3 , wherein the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one memory, cause the apparatus to : after the one or more configurations are obtained, set the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller as inoperative .5 . The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more configurations comprise at least one of one or more configuration keys , configuration values of the one or more configuration keys or a firmware version .6 . The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to :notify the user that an electric vehicle charging station comprising the second electric vehicle charging station controller can be powered on when at least one of the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is set as inoperative , the first electric vehicle charging station identifier is changed or the one or more configurations of the first electric vehicle charging station controller are saved .7 . The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the message from the second electric vehicle charging station controller comprises a firmware version of the second electric vehicle charging station controller, and wherein the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to : upon receiving the message from the second electric vehicle charging station controller, compare a firmware version of the first electric vehicle charging station controller and the firmware version of the second electric vehicle charging station controller ; and send a firmware update command to the second electric vehicle charging station controller when the firmware version of the first electric vehicle charging station controller and the firmware version of the second electric vehicle charging station controller do not match .8 . The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to : send a request for the second electric vehicle charging station controller to start charging transaction after the second electric vehicle chargingstation identifier and the one or more configurations are changed; receive a confirmation message from the second electric vehicle charging station controller in response to the request ; and determine the replacement was successful based on the confirmation message .9 . The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to : send a request for the one or more configurations at predetermined intervals to each electric vehicle charging station communicatively coupled with the apparatus ; store the one or more configurations of each electric vehicle charging station based on a received response together with an identifier of the respective electric vehicle charging station ; detect the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is offline ; and configure the second electric vehicle charging station controller with a last saved version of the one or more configurations linked with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier when the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller is offline .10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the response is further stored together with a serial number of the respective electric vehicle charging station, and the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to :obtain a serial number of the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller ; monitor when a status of the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller changes from offline to online based on a received message comprising the first electric vehicle charging station identifier and the serial number ; upon detecting the status has changed to online , set the electric vehicle charging station comprising the first electric vehicle charging station controller as inoperative ; and send a configuration message for the first electric vehicle charging station controller to change the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .11 . The apparatus of claim 9 or 10 , wherein the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to : detect that a configuration message is sent to an electric vehicle charging station ; and update the stored one or more configurations of the respective charging station based on content of the configuration message .12 . The apparatus of any of claims 9 to 11 , wherein the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to : detect that a boot notification is received from an electric vehicle charging station ; and store one or more configurations with an identifier of the respective electric vehicle charging station obtained from the boot notification .13 . The apparatus of any of claims 8 to 12 , wherein the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to : after configuration of the second electric vehicle charging station controller, send a notification for the user comprising instructions to connect an electric vehicle to an electric vehicle charging station comprising the second electric vehicle charging station controller for charging; receive a confirmation from the user that the electric vehicle is connected; and send the request to start transaction to the electric vehicle charging station comprising the second electric vehicle charging station controller .14 . A computer-implemented method, comprising : obtaining, from a user, a first electric vehicle charging station identifier and a second electric vehicle charging station identifier ; obtaining one or more configurations of an electric vehicle charging station from a first electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the first electric vehicle charging station identifier ; monitoring for a message from a second electric vehicle charging station controller configured with the second electric vehicle charging station identifier indicating that the first electric vehicle charging station controller of the electric vehicle charging station is replaced with the second electric vehicle charging station controller ; and upon detecting the message , sending at least one configuration message to the second electric vehicle charging station controller to configure the second electric vehicle charging station controller with the one or more configurations and to change the secondelectric vehicle charging station identifier to the first electric vehicle charging station identifier .15 . A computer program product comprising instruction which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 14 .

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