A charging device for charging an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle

Abstract

A charging device 10 for charging an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle 12, comprising at least a bi-directional power rectifier 14 and a housing 16 for mounting the charging device

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automobiles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a charging device for charging an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle, comprising at least a bi-directional power rectifier and a housing for mounting the charging device at a home. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0002] According to the state of the art an emergency blackout system is including a bidirectional charger and additionally a load switching, monitoring device and a protection circuitry integrated in the home's electrical system. The detection of the energy blackout condition is a part of an automatic transfer switch and energy meter circuitry that measures and monitors the presence of the voltage in each AC phase. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a charging device by which an easy installation of the charging device with improved functionality is provided.

[0004] This object is solved by a charging device according to the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are presented in the dependent claims.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention relates to a charging device for charging an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle, comprising at least a bi-directional power rectifier and a house for mounting the charging device at a home such as a wallbox.

[0006] According to an embodiment the charging device additionally comprises one blackout detection module for detecting a power loss of a connected grid inside the housing and one switching element inside the housing for connecting loads of the home with the bi-directional power rectifier depending on detected power loss.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention includes the switching element and the blackout detection module in the same housing or wallbox with the bi-directional charging circuitry. The blackout may be detected by monitoring the grid based on the application, voltage level, frequency, noise, utility notifications, and / or other comparable data. The detection circuits may include basic voltage detection, frequency monitoring, abnormal conditions detection, and / or another comparable detection method.

[0008] The integration of the switching element and the detection circuitry in the same wallbox with the bi-directional charger simplifies the installation in the home. In addition, there may be no interoperability issues due to a possible mismatch between the bidirectional charger and the switching elements installed in the house. Additionally, there may be no need for additional actions to certify the switching element devices to function with a bi-directional charger.

[0009] In particular, the home may be a private house or any other installation possibility, for example a hall of an industry complex.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the switching element is configured for automatically switching from a grid connection to the bi-directional power rectifier connection when detecting a power loss of the grid.

[0011] In another embodiment, the power loss may be detected depending on a frequency of the power of the grid and / or a voltage level of the power of the grid and / or a utility notification of the grid and / or noise of the power of the grid.

[0012] In another embodiment, the blackout detection module detects the blackout via a chaos detection system.

[0013] In another embodiment, the blackout detection module detects the blackout via an artificial intelligence of the blackout detection module.

[0014] In another embodiment, the switching element is configured for providing power for the loads from an energy storage device of the motor vehicle, when the motor vehicle is connected to the charging device.

[0015] In another embodiment, the blackout detection module comprises at least two blackout detection circuits for detecting the power loss.

[0016] The charging device may comprise an electronic computing device for controlling the charging of the motor vehicle as well as for controlling the switching from the grid connection to the rectifier connection. Furthermore, the power rectifier may be configured for providing energy for loading the electric storage device of the motor vehicle during the grid connection.

[0017] A computing unit / electronic computing device may in particular be understood as a data processing device, which comprises processing circuitry. The computing unit can therefore in particular process data to perform computing operations. This may also include operations to perform indexed accesses to a data structure, for example a look-up table, LUT.

[0018] In particular, the computing unit may include one or more computers, one or more microcontrollers, and / or one or more integrated circuits, for example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits, ASIC, one or more field-programmable gate arrays, FPGA, and / or one or more systems on a chip, SoC. The computing unit may also include one or more processors, for example one or more microprocessors, one or more central processing units, CPU, one or more graphics processing units, GPU, and / or one or more signal processors, in particular one or more digital signal processors, DSP. The computing unit may also include a physical or a virtual cluster of computers or other of said units.

[0019] In various embodiments, the computing unit includes one or more hardware and / or software interfaces and / or one or more memory units.

[0020] A memory unit may be implemented as a volatile data memory, for example a dynamic random access memory, DRAM, or a static random access memory, SRAM, or as a non-volatile data memory, for example a read-only memory, ROM, a programmable read-only memory, PROM, an erasable programmable read-only memory, EPROM, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, EEPROM, a flash memory or flash EEPROM, a ferroelectric random access memory, FRAM, a magnetoresistive random access memory, MRAM, or a phase-change random access memory, PCRAM.

[0021] Further advantages, features, and details of the present invention derive from the following description of preferred embodiments as well as from the drawings. The features and feature combinations previously mentioned in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned in the following description of the figures and / or shown in the figures alone can be employed not only in the respectively indicated combination but also in any other combination or taken alone without leaving the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The novel features and characteristic of the present disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and / or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0023] The drawings show in:

[0024] Fig. 1 a schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of a charging device; and

[0025] Fig. 2 a schematic block diagram of a detail part of the charging device. In the figures the same elements or elements having the same function are indicated by the same reference signs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0027] While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawing and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.

[0028] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion so that a setup, device or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus preceded by “comprises” or “comprise” does not or do not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.

[0029] In the following detailed description of the embodiment of the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawing that forms part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment in which the disclosure may be practiced. This embodiment is described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0030] Fig. 1 shows a schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of a charging device 10 for charging an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle 12. The at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle 12 comprises at least one energy storage device 42. Furthermore, the charging device 10 comprises a bi-directional power rectifier 14 and a housing 16 for mounting the charging device 10 at a home 18.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the charging device 10 additionally comprises one blackout detection module 20 inside the housing 16 for detecting a power loss of a connected grid 22 and one switching element 24 inside the housing 16 for connecting loads 26 such as alternating current (AC) loads of the home 18 with the bi-directional power rectifier 14 depending on a detected power loss.

[0032] In particular, the switching element 24 is configured for automatically switching from a grid connection to the bi-directional power rectifier 14 connection when detecting a power loss of the grid 22. Furthermore, the power loss is detected depending on a frequency of the power of the grid 22 and / or voltage level of the power of the grid 22 and / or utility notification of the grid 22 and / or a noise of the power of the grid 22. Furthermore, the blackout detection module 20 may detect the blackout via a chaos detection system.

[0033] Furthermore, the blackout detection module 20 may detect the blackout via an artificial intelligence 28 of the blackout detection module 20. Therefore, the blackout detection module 20 may comprise an electronic computing device and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) 30.

[0034] Furthermore, the switching element 40 is configured for providing power for the AC loads 26 from the energy storage device 42 of the motor vehicle 12, when the motor vehicle 12 is connected to the charging device 10. Furthermore, the blackout detection module 20 may comprise at least two blackout detection circuits 32, 34, 44 (Fig. 2).

[0035] Fig. 2 shows another schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of a detail of the charging device 10, in particular of the blackout detection module 20. In particular Fig. 2 shows, that at least two blackout detection circuits 32, 34, 44 are provided. In particular, a first detection circuit 32, a second detection circuit 34 as well as a third detection circuit 44 are provided. The blackout detection circuits 32, 34, 44 may detect the blackout with different detection options, for example depending on a frequency of the grid 22, or a voltage level of the grid 22, or other detection modes. Furthermore, a sum module 36 is shown, which sums up the information of the circuits 32, 34, 34. The output 38 of the sum module 36 may be the input signal 40 such as a power signal for the blackout detection module 20. The output signals 40 may be used for the circuits 32, 34, 34.

[0036] In particular, the figures show that the present invention includes the automatic switching element 24 and the blackout detection module 20 in the same housing 16 with the bi-directional power rectifier 14. The power interruption such as a brownout or blackout may be detected monitoring the grid 22, for example a voltage level, a frequency, a noise, or utility notifications, using a combination of the detection circuits 32, 34, 44 enabled by a controller, in particular an electronic computing device, based on the application. These circuits 32, 34, 44 may include basic voltage detection, frequency monitoring, abnormal conditions detection, for example via a chaos system or artificial intelligence based.

[0037] The integration of the switching element 24 and monitoring circuits 32, 34, 44 in the same housing 16 with the bi-directional power rectifier 14 may simplify the installation at home 18. Reference signs 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 charging device motor vehicle rectifier housing home blackout detection module grid switching element load artificial intelligence uninterruptible power supply (UPS) first detection circuit second detection circuit sum module signal output energy storage device third detection circuit

Claims

1. A charging device (10) for charging an at least in part electrically operated motor vehicle (12), comprising at least a bi-directional power rectifier (14) and a housing (16) for mounting the charging device (10) at a home (18), characterized in thatthe charging device (10) additionally comprises one blackout detection module (20) inside the housing (16) for detecting a power loss of a connected grid (22) and one switching element (24) inside the housing (16) for connecting loads (26) of the home (18) with the bi-directional power rectifier (14) depending on a detected power loss.

2. The charging device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe switching element (24) is configured for automatically switching from a grid connection to the bi-directional power rectifier connection when detecting a power loss of the grid (22).

3. The charging device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in thatthe power loss is detected depending on a frequency of the power of the grid (22) and / or a voltage level of the power of the grid (22) and / or a utility notification of the grid (22) and / or a noise of the power of the grid (22).

4. The charging device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in thatthe blackout detection module (20) detects the blackout via a chaos detection system.

5. The charging device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in thatthe blackout detection module (20) detects the blackout via an artificial intelligence (28) of the blackout detection module (20).

6. The charging device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in thatthe switching element (24) is configured for providing power for the loads (26) from an energy storage device (42) of the motor vehicle (12), when the motor vehicle (12) is connected to the charging device (10).

7. The charging device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in thatthe blackout detection module (20) comprises at least two blackout detection circuits (32, 34, 44) for detecting the power loss.

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